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ONE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-FIFTH 

ANNUAL 


CONFERENCE 

OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 
OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS 

HELD  IN  THE  TABERNACLE 
SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 

APRIL  4,  5,  6,  1965 

WITH  REPORT  OF  DISCOURSES 

Published  by 

The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


Deseret  Book  Presents . 
Three  Inspiring  Volumes 
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ANCIENT  APOSTLES 


by  President  David  O.  McKay 


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THE  BEATITUDES  by  N.  Elmer  Peterson 

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JESUS  THE  CHRIST  by  James  E.  Talmage  (Priesthood  Edition) 

This  classic  in  LDS  Church  literature  is  a  companion  volume  to  the  Standard 
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OFFICIAL  REPORT 

of  the 


ONE  HUNDRED  AND  THIRTY-FIFTH 
ANNUAL  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

of 

THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 
OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS 

held  in  the 
Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square 
in 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 
April  4,  5  and  6,  1965 


Joseph  Anderson 

Clerk  of  the  Conference 


Published  by 
The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 


Church  Library 

The  Church  of  Jesus 
of  Latter-day  Saints 

M2C&.1 

Al 

1965 
Apr. 


The  One  Hundred  Thirty-fifth  Annual 
Conference  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints 


The  One  Hundred  Thirty-Fifth  An- 
nual Conference  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  con- 
vened in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple 
Square  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  Sun- 
day, Monday  and  Tuesday,  April  4,  5, 
and  6,  1965. 

The  general  sessions  of  the  confer- 
ence were  held  at  8:00  a.m.  and  2:00 
p.m.  Sunday,  and  at  10:00  a.m.  and 
2:00  p.m.  Monday  and  Tuesday.  The 
General  Priesthood  Meeting  was  held 
Monday  evening,  April  5,  at  7:00  p.m. 

Conference  was  again  widely  heard 
and  seen  in  the  United  States  and 
parts  of  Canada  over  169  television 
and  30  radio  stations,  time  and  facili- 
ties being  donated  to  bring  the  Confer- 
ence to  millions  without  charge. 

South  American  airlines  carried 
tapes  translated  in  Spanish  of  the  Sun- 
day morning  session  to  missions  in 
South  America,  and  by  special  ar- 
rangements broadcast  over  radio  sta- 
tions within  a  matter  of  hours  follow- 
ing the  session. 

Jet  airliner  carried  tape  recordings 
of  the  Saturday  morning  session  to 
Europe  for  transmission  in  both  Eng- 
lish and  German  over  Radio  Luxem- 
bourg, and  was  heard  throughout 
Europe  and  Great  Britain  Sunday 
evening,  April  11th,  following  the 
Conference. 

The  five  WRUL  church  owned 
shortwave  transmitters  located  near 
Boston  carried  Sunday  and  Monday 
morning  sessions  direct  to  Europe, 
Africa,  and  South  America.  In  addi- 
tion, the  session  of  Sunday  morning 
was  broadcast  in  both  Spanish  and 
Portuguese  to  all  of  South  America, 
and  in  German  to  Europe  Monday 
afternoon.  Hundreds  of  letters  were  re- 
ceived from  39  countries  in  response 


to  these  shortwave  broadcasts. 

For  the  third  consecutive  time,  daily 
sessions  of  Sunday  and  Monday  were 
broadcast  early  morning  hours  over 
KIRO  Radio  at  Seattle.  These  broad- 
casts being  heard  by  members  of  the 
Church  in  New  Zealand,  Australia, 
and  Islands  of  the  Pacific. 

Daily  sessions  of  the  three-day  Con- 
ference again  were  recorded  and  re- 
broadcast  over  KSL  Radio  during  early 
morning  hours  to  Islands  of  the  Pa- 
cific, Alaska,  Hawaii,  Canada,  Mexico, 
and  the  Caribbean  area,  and  many 
states  in  the  United  States. 

Films  of  the  Conference  are  being 
viewed  by  members  abroad,  provided 
missions  and  stakes  for  showing  in 
ward  and  branch  gatherings  in  Austra- 
lia, Germany,  France,  Great  Britain, 
and  South  America.  Sound-track  trans- 
lations in  German,  French  and  Spanish 
were  provided  respective  foreign  speak- 
ing areas. 

The  General  Priesthood  meeting 
was  relayed  by  closed-circuit  to  mem- 
bers of  the  Priesthood  gathered  in  the 
Assembly  Hall  and  in  400  separate 
gatherings  from  coast  to  coast  and  in 
Canada.  Five  stake  buildings  in  the 
Salt  Lake  area  received  the  Conference 
over  closed-circuit  television. 

President  David  O.  McKay's  mes- 
sage at  the  opening  session  of  the  Con- 
ference was  read  by  his  son.  Elder 
Robert  R.  McKay.  The  President's  son 
Edward  R.  McKay  read  a  message 
from  President  McKay  to  the  Priest- 
hood Monday  evening. 

A  full  report  of  the  Sunday  morning 
Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  Broad- 
cast and  the  CBS  Church  of  the  Air 
Broadcast  is  included  in  this  record. 

Elder  Joseph  Anderson  was  clerk  of 
the  Conference. 


CHURCH  LIBRARY 

The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

General  Authorities  of  the  Church 
Present 

The  First  Presidency:  David  O.  Mc- 
Kay, Hugh  B.  Brown  and  Nathan 
Eldon  Tanner.  President  McKay  at- 
tended all  of  the  sessions  of  the  Confer- 
ence except  the  Sunday  and  Monday 
afternoon  meetings  when  he  remained 
in  his  apartment  in  the  Utah  Hotel 
and  watched  and  listened  to  the  pro- 
ceedings by  television. 

The  Quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles: 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  Harold  B.  Lee, 
Spencer  W.  Kimball,  Ezra  T.  Benson, 
Mark  E.  Petersen,  Delbert  L.  Stapley, 
Marion  G.  Romney,  LeGrand  Richards, 
Richard  L.  Evans,  Howard  W.  Hunter, 
Gordon  B.  Hinckley,  Thomas  S.  Mon- 
son. 

Patriarch  to  the  Church:  Eldred  G. 
Smith. 

Assistants  to  the  Twelve  Apostles: 
Alma  Sonne,  EIRay  L.  Christiansen, 
John  Longden,  Sterling  W.  Sill,  Henry 
D.  Taylor,  William  J.  Critchlow,  Jr., 
Alvin  R.  Dyer,  Franklin  D.  Richards, 
Theodore  M.  Burton,  Thorpe  B.  Isaac- 
son, Boyd  K.  Packer,  Bernard  P.  Brock- 
bank. 


First  Day 

The  First  Council  of  the  Seventy: 
Antoine  R.  Ivins,  Seymour  Dilworth 
Young,  Milton  R.  Hunter,  Bruce  R. 
McConkie,  Marion  D.  Hanks,  A.  Theo- 
dore Turtle,  Paul  Harold  Dunn. 

Presiding  Bishopric:  John  H.  Van- 
denberg,  Robert  L.  Simpson,  Victor  L. 
Brown. 


General  Officers  and  Other 
Authorities  Present 

Church  Historian  and  Recorder:  Jo- 
seph Fielding  Smith,  with  A.  William 
Lund,  Assistant. 

Members  of  the  General  Church 
Priesthood  Committee: 

Members  of  the  Church  Board  of 
Education,  Church  educational  author- 
ities and  supervisors. 

Presidents  of  Stakes  and  their  Coun- 
selors, Presidents  of  temples,  Patriarchs, 
quorum  presidencies,  and  members  of 
the  Melchizedek  and  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood. 

Auxiliary  Officers,  General,  Stake, 
and  Ward,  from  all  parts  of  the 
Church. 


FIRST  DAY 


MORNING  MEETING 


The  first  session  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred Thirty-Fifth  Annual  Conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,  which  Conference  was  held 
in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  convened  Sun- 
day morning,  April  4,  1965,  at  8:00 
a.m.,  with  President  David  O.  McKay 
presiding  and  President  Hugh  B. 
Brown,  First  Counselor  in  the  First 
Presidency,  conducting  the  service. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  furnished  the 
musical  numbers  for  this  session,  with 
Richard  P.  Condie  directing  the  sing- 
ing; Alexander  Schreiner  was  the  organ 
accompanist. 

As  a  preliminary  number  the  Choir 
sang,  "Sleepers  Wake,  a  Voice  Is  Call- 
mg. 


President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

We  cordially  welcome  all  present 
this  morning  in  this  historic  Taber- 
nacle and  in  the  Assembly  Hall  on 
Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  together  with  the  vast  television 
and  radio  audience  throughout  the 
world,  in  this,  the  opening  session  of 
the  135th  Annual  General  Conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter-day Saints.  The  invocation  will 
now  be  offered  by  Elder  William  S. 
Erekson,  formerly  president  of  the 
Swiss  Mission. 


The  invocation  was  offered  by  Elder 
William  S.  Erekson,  formerly  Presi- 
dent of  the  Swiss  Mission. 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

The  Tabernacle  Choir,  under  the  di- 
rection of  Richard  P.  Condie,  with 
Alexander  Schreiner  at  the  organ,  will 
now  sing,  "Behold,  the  Lamb  of  God." 

Singing  by  the  Choir,  "Behold  The 
Lamb  Of  God." 


President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

President  David  O.  McKay  is  able  to 
be  present  this  morning  with  his  wife, 
Sister  McKay,  with  him.  Their  pres- 
ence here  adds  much  to  the  spirit 
of  this  occasion.  President  McKay  has 
prepared  a  message  for  the  conference, 
which  will  now  be  read  by  his  son, 
Robert. 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


My  brethren  and  sisters  and  friends  of 
the  television  and  radio  audience,  as  I 
approach  this  solemn  duty,  I  sense 
fully  the  need  of  your  united  support 
and  particularly  the  sustaining  and 
guiding  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord. 

"I  charge  thee,  .  .  . '  wrote  Paul  to 
Timothy,  "before  God,  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  .  .  . 

"Preach  the  word;  be  instant  in  sea- 
son, out  of  season;  reprove,  rebuke, 
exhort  with  all  longsuffering.  .  .  ." 
(2  Tim.  4:1-2.) 

In  the  same  letter  he  prophetically 
declared  ".  .  .  that  in  the  last  days 
perilous  times  shall  come. 

"For  men  shall  be  lovers  of  their 
own  selves,  .  .  . 

".  .  .  lovers  of  pleasures  more  than 
lovers  of  God; 

"Having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  de- 
nying the  power  thereof:  .  .  ."  (Ihid., 
3:1-2,  4-5.) 

Safeguards  Against  Delinquency 

It  is  in  the  spirit  of  Paul's  charge 
and  prophecy  that  I  approach  the  sub- 
ject of  safeguards  against  delinquency 
of  youth.  In  naming  these  safeguards  I 
have  nothing  new  to  offer.  You  have 
heard  them  mentioned  frequently,  but 
I  think,  as  with  the  gospel  principles, 
it  is  fitting  that  we  be  active  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  that  we  reprove,  re- 
buke, exhort,  admonish  with  all  long- 
suffering  as  we  contemplate  the  rising 
crime  wave  and  bring  home  to  each 
of  us,  if  possible,  the  realization  that 
greater  diligence  is  needed. 

Few  will  question  the  fact  that  we 
are  living  in  perilous  times,  that  many 
people  have  lost  their  moorings  and 


are  being  ".  .  .  tossed  to  and  fro,  .  .  . 
with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the 
sleight  of  men,  and  cunning  craftiness, 
whereby  they  lie  in  wait  to  deceive;" 
(Eph.  4:14.) 

Among  the  glaring  evils  of  our  day 
are  two  which  seem  to  be  most  detri- 
mental and  which  must  be  curbed  if 
we  would  preserve  true  Christian 
ideals.  These  are:  first,  an  increasing 
tendency  to  dishonor  the  marriage 
vow;  and  second,  the  mounting  juve- 
nile delinquency.  Careful  study  dis- 
closes a  close  relationship  between 
these  two  unwholesome  social  con- 
ditions. 

Tendency  to  Dishonor  Marriage  Vows 

As  evidence  of  the  first,  we  need  only 
to  glance  at  the  number  of  divorces  in 
the  country  at  large.  Recent  statistics 
disclose  that  one  out  of  every  four 
marriages  is  separated  by  the  ever 
grinding  divorce  mill. 

Ever-increasing  Crime 

But  it  is  the  ever  increasing  crime 
wave  to  which  I  desire  to  call  atten- 
tion this  morning.  Children  are  being 
corrupted  by  it;  youth  are  caught  in  its 
whirlpool  and  are  being  contaminated 
overwhelmingly  by  it. 

J.  Edgar  Hoover,  Director  of  the 
Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation,  who 
is  probably  our  nation's  leading 
authority  on  crime,  made  the  follow- 
ing alarming  report  at  a  dinner  held 
in  his  honor  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  on 
November  24,  1964: 

"To  every  man  and  every  nation 
there  comes  a  time  when  decisions 
must  be  made  about  grave  problems. 
Further  delay  in  seeking  solutions  can 


6  GENERAL  C 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

bring  disaster.  That  time  has  come  for 
the  United  States. 

"The  moment  has  arrived  when  we 
must  face  realistically  the  startling  fact 
that  since  1958  crime  in  this  country 
has  increased  five  times  faster  than 
our  population  growth!  Serious  crimes 
— murder,  forcible  rape,  robbery,  bur- 
glary, aggravated  assault,  automobile 
theft — have  mounted  steadily  since  the 
end  of  World  War  II.  In  1951,  these 
crimes  for  the  first  time  topped  the 
one-million  mark,  and  more  than  two 
and  one-quarter  million  serious  crimes 
were  reported  during  1963. 

"Even  more  ominous  is  the  fact  that 
this  terrifying  spiral  in  crime  has  come 
about  through  a  growing  wave  of 
youthful  criminality  across  the  Nation. 
Last  year  for  the  fifteenth  consecutive 
year,  crimes  involving  our  young  people 
increased  over  the  previous  year.  For  all 
serious  crimes  committed  in  the  Unit- 
ed States  in  1963,  youthful  offenders 
were  responsible  for  72  percent  of  the 
total  arrests  for  these  crimes!  The  cost 
of  our  crime  has  now  reached  the  stag- 
gering sum  of  twenty-seven  billion 
dollars  a  year! 

Decline  of  Moral  Strength 

"What  a  grim  and  unhappy  com- 
mentary on  the  moral  climate  of  this 
great  Nation!  The  moral  strength  of 
our  Nation  has  decreased  alarmingly. 
We  must  return  to  the  teachings  of 
God  if  we  are  to  cure  this  sickness. 
These  shocking  statistics,  together  with 
the  public's  apparent  indifference  to 
them,  are  indicative  of  the  false  mor- 
ality we  are  tolerating  today.  It  is  a 
false  code  which  is  based  on  the  wor- 
ship of  things  of  man's  own  creation. 
It  is  as  imperfect  and  feeble  as  man 
himself!  However  captivating  to  the 
senses,  this  type  of  moral  climate  can- 
not give  the  support  nor  the  strength 
which  is  so  vital  to  our  national  sur- 
vival. This  breakdown  in  our  moral 
standards  can  only  render  us  impotent 
as  a  people  and  as  a  Nation." 

In  calling  attention  to  these  condi- 
tions, I  would  not  have  you  think  that 
our  young  people  generally  do  not 
merit  our  confidence.  It  is  the  few,  not 
the  many,  of  whom  we  now  speak. 

When,  a  few  years  ago,  a  little  four- 


First  Day 

year-old  lad  wandered  into  the  Bad- 
lands of  North  Dakota,  the  whole 
countryside  was  aroused  and  organized 
for  the  rescue.  They  gave  no  thought, 
however,  to  the  hundreds  of  four-year- 
olds  who  were  safe  in  their  mothers' 
keeping.  A  train  wreck  or  an  airplane 
disaster  shocks  us  to  attention,  awakens 
sympathy  and  a  demand  for  more  safe- 
guards, while  to  the  hundreds  of  trains 
and  airplanes  carrying  millions  to 
safety,  we  give  scarcely  a  passing 
thought. 

So  while  we  solicitously  call  atten- 
tion to  the  tragedies  in  the  stream  of 
human  life,  let  us  not  be  unmindful 
of  the  much  greater  group  who  move 
steadily  and  successfully  along,  avoid- 
ing the  sandbars  and  rapids  of  sinful 
indulgence  and  spiritual  decay,  whose 
noble  lives  confirm  and  increase  con- 
fidence in  the  growing  generation.  As 
we  seek  the  lost  sheep,  let  us  be  appre- 
ciative of  the  "ninety  and  nine"  that 
are  safe  in  the  fold. 

But  no  matter  how  firm  our  confi- 
dence in  the  majority  of  the  young,  we 
must  not  close  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that 
the  number  of  delinquents  and  youth- 
ful criminals  is  ominously  increasing. 
In  the  interest  of  the  moral  atmosphere 
of  our  communities,  the  welfare  of  the 
state,  tbe  perpetuity  of  our  democratic 
form  of  government,  we  must  search 
for  the  causes  of  this  upswing  in  crime, 
and,  if  possible,  remove  them  and 
apply  the  proper  remedies. 

Safeguard  Against  Delinquency:  Home 

One  important  cause  of  the  increase 
in  child  delinquency  is  a  letdown  in 
home  ideals.  A  growing  desire  for  eco- 
nomic independence  or  a  too  eager 
willingness  to  improve  financial  cir- 
cumstances has  influenced  too  many 
of  our  mothers  to  neglect  the  greatest 
of  all  responsibilities — the  rearing  of 
a  family.  Director  Hoover  makes  the 
definite  statement  that  "in  the  back- 
ground of  these  youth  offenders  lies 
the  story  of  shocking  neglect.  Boys  and 
girls  are  being  deprived  of  the  care 
and  guidance  necessary  to  the  proper 
foundation  of  their  characters.  Their 
lawlessness  had  its  roots  in  every  in- 
stance in  broken  homes  where  mothers 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


7 


and  fathers,  because  of  their  neglect, 
misunderstanding,  or  irresponsibility 
had  failed  in  their  primary  obligations. 
More  often  than  not,  God  was  un- 
known, or,  more  important,  was  un- 
welcome in  their  homes. 

"On  the  other  hand,  in  nearly  every 
instance  the  youthful  offender  would 
have  been  a  strong,  upright  citizen  had 
he  been  given  a  chance.  If  his  pent-up 
energies  and  desires  had  been  directed 
along  wholesome  channels;  if  his  prob- 
lems— the  problems  that  made  him  a 
problem  child — had  been  solved  by 
patient  and  attentive  parents,  he  would 
have  proved  to  be  an  influence  for  good 
in  his  community." 

You  may  think  me  extreme,  but  I  am 
going  to  say  that  a  married  woman 
who  refuses  to  assume  the  responsibili- 
ties of  motherhood,  or  who,  having 
children,  neglects  them  for  pleasure  or 
social  prestige,  is  recreant  to  the  high- 
est calling  and  privilege  of  woman- 
kind. The  father  who,  because  of 
business  or  political  or  social  responsi- 
bilities, fails  to  share  with  his  wife 
the  responsibilities  of  rearing  his  sons 
and  daughters  is  untrue  to  his  marital 
obligations,  is  a  negative  element  in 
what  might  and  should  be  a  joyous 
home  atmosphere,  and  is  a  possible 
contributor  to  discord  and  delinquency. 

There  are  three  fundamental  things 
to  which  every  child  is  entitled:  (1) 
a  respected  name,  (2)  a  sense  of  secu- 
rity, (3)  opportunities  for  development. 

The  family  gives  to  the  child  his 
name  and  standing  in  the  community. 
A  child  wants  his  family  to  be  as 
good  as  those  of  his  friends.  He  wants 
to  be  able  to  point  with  pride  to  his 
father  and  to  feel  an  inspiration 
always  as  he  thinks  of  his  mother.  It 
is  a  mother's  duty  so  to  live  that  her 
children  will  associate  with  her  every- 
thing that  is  beautiful,  sweet,  and  pure. 
In  the  words  of  former  President  of 
the  United  States,  Herbert  Hoover: 
"After  we  have  determined  every  scien- 
tific fact,  after  we  have  erected  every 
public  safeguard,  after  we  have  con- 
structed every  edifice  for  education  or 
training  or  hospitalization  or  play,  yet 
all  these  things  are  but  a  tithe  of  the 
physical,  moral,  and  spiritual  gifts 
which  motherhood  gives  and  home 
confers.  None  of  these  things  carry 


that  affection,  that  devotion  of  soul, 
which  is  the  great  endowment  from 
mothers." 

And  the  father  should  so  live  that 
the  child,  emulating  his  example,  will 
be  a  good  citizen  and,  in  the  Church,  a 
true  Latter-day  Saint. 

A  child  has  a  right  to  feel  that  in  his 
home  he  has  a  place  of  refuge,  a  place 
of  protection  from  the  dangers  and  evils 
of  the  outside  world.  Family  unity  and 
integrity  are  necessary  to  supply  this 
need. 

The  home  is  the  best  place  in  the 
world  to  teach  the  highest  ideal  in  the 
social  and  political  life  of  man, 
namely,  perfect  liberty  of  action  so  long 
as  he  does  not  trespass  upon  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  another. 

The  great  need  of  the  American 
home  today  is  more  religion.  Parents 
should  make  it  obvious  both  by  their 
actions  aad  their  conversation  that 
they  are  seriously  interested  in  the 
fruits  of  true  religion.  Example  of 
parents  should  emphasize  the  need  of 
honesty  in  our  dealings  with  our 
family,  our  neighbors,  and  all  with 
whom  we  come  in  contact:  of  kindness 
to  our  employees,  of  fair  play  to  our 
employers,  of  good  measure  to  our 
customers. 

The  Lord  places  the  responsibility 
directly  where  it  belongs,  wherein  he 
says  that  it  is  the  duty  of  parents  to 
teach  their  children  the  principles  of 
the  gospel  and  to  walk  uprightly  before 
the  Lord,  and  if  they  do  not  so  teach, 
the  sin  be  upon  the  heads  of  the  par- 
ents. (See  D&C  68:25.) 

Safeguard  Against  Delinquency: 
Church 

Next  to  the  home  as  a  safeguard  to 
delinquency,  the  church  should  be  a 
dominant  force.  The  other  day  I  was 
pleased  to  note  a  recent  Gallup  Poll 
published  in  a  late  edition  of  the  New 
York  Herald  Tribune  which  revealed 
that  in  1964  at  least  45  percent  of  the 
entire  adult  population  of  the  nation 
attended  church  in  one  typical  week 
and  that,  although  the  percentage 
dropped  four  points  since  the  peak  year 
of  1958,  it  is  still  so  high  that  it  com- 
pletely eclipses  the  5  percent  and  7 


8  GENERAL  C( 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

percent  in  some  of  the  other  leading 
countries.  It  is  interesting  that  although 
men  are  reputedly  not  very  religious, 
40  percent  of  the  entire  male  adult 
population  of  the  United  States  attends 
church  each  Sunday.  Forty-nine  per- 
cent of  the  women  attend  regularly. 
This  means  that  49,500,000  adult  men 
and  women  attend  church  services  in 
the  United  States.  But  what  of  the 
other  55  percent  of  men  and  women 
who  do  not  attend  church  and  what  of 
the  children  who  come  from  the  homes 
of  these  men  and  women?  Their  in- 
difference towards  church  should  tend 
only  to  spur  us  to  more  earnest  and 
diligent  activity. 

Safeguard  Against  Delinquency: 
Schools 

Where  there  is  an  indifference  to- 
ward Christian  churches,  we  shall 
have  to  place  next  to  the  home,  not 
the  church,  but  the  public  school  as 
the  most  influential  factor  in  lessening 
delinquency. 

I  believe  with  all  my  heart  that  the 
most  paramount  objective  of  the  public 
school  system  from  kindergarten  to  the 
university  should  be  character  building 
and  the  evolving  of  true,  loyal  citizens 
of  the  republic.  The  teaching  of  the 
three  R's,  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  even 
the  delving  into  research  work  should 
be  but  a  means  to  the  development  of 
true  manhood  and  noble  womanhood. 

True  education  is  awakening  a  love 
for  truth,  a  just  sense  of  duty,  opening 
the  eyes  of  the  soul  to  the  great  pur- 
pose and  end  of  life.  It  is  not  to  teach 
the  individual  to  love  the  good  for  per- 
sonal sake;  it  is  to  teach  him  to  love 
the  good  for  the  sake  of  the  good  itself; 
to  be  virtuous  in  action  because  he  is 
so  in  heart;  to  love  God  and  serve  him 
supremely,  not  from  fear,  but  from  de- 
light in  his  perfect  character. 

Upon  the  teacher  rests  much  of  the 
responsibility  of  lifting  society  to  this 
high  level.  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  re- 
putedly the  wisest  American,  said, 
"Character  is  higher  than  intellect .... 
A  great  soul  will  be  strong  to  live,  as 
well  as  to  think."  (Nature,  Addresses, 
and  Lectures:  The  American  Scholar.) 


First  Day 

Safeguard  Against  Delinquency:  Moral 
Atmosphere  of  Leaders,  Community, 
State  and  Nation 

Another  safeguard  against  delin- 
quency of  youth  is  the  moral  atmos- 
phere of  the  leaders  of  the  nation, 
town,  and  community.  This  is  deter- 
mined by  the  ideals  and  actions  of 
adults,  and  particularly  of  civic  officers 
and  those  who  are  entrusted  to  enforce 
the  law. 

If  we  are  sincere  in  our  desire  to  re- 
duce the  delinquency  among  youth,  let 
us  look  to  ourselves  as  members  of  the 
community  and  as  leaders  and  officials 
in  civic  circles.  A  nation  that  has  con- 
quered great  material  difficulties  and 
harnessed  the  physical  powers  must 
have  some  more  effective  means  of 
combating  the  cynicism  of  its  youth — 
the  cynicism  born  of  widely  flaunted 
dishonesty  of  those  in  high  places,  in- 
sincerity of  leadership,  and  gaudy 
pageantry  of  crime. 

Yes,  we  are  living  in  perilous  times, 
but  let  us  hope  that  they  may  be  to 
the  present  generation  as  the  fiery 
furnace  that  consumes  the  dross  but 
purifies  the  gold. 

A  clean  man  is  a  national  asset.  A 
pure  woman  is  the  incarnation  of  true 
national  glory.  A  citizen  who  loves 
justice  and  hates  evil  is  better  than  a 
battleship.  The  strength  of  any  com- 
munity consists  of  and  exists  in  the 
men  who  are  pure,  clean,  upright,  and 
straightforward,  ready  for  the  right  and 
sensitive  to  every  approach  of  evil.  Let 
such  ideals  be  the  standard  of  citizen- 
ship. 

Let  us  here  and  now  express  grati- 
tude for  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  with  its  priesthood 
quorums  and  auxiliary  organizations 
especially  organized  to  combat  the  evils 
of  crime  and  juvenile  delinquency.  It 
was  established  by  divine  revelation  of 
God  the  Father  and  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ.  Its  glorious  mission  is  to  pro- 
claim the  birth  of  the  restored  gospel; 
to  uplift  society  that  people  may 
mingle  more  amicably  one  with 
another;  to  create  in  our  communities 
a  wholesome  environment  in  which 
our  children  may  find  strength  to  re- 
sist temptation  and  encouragement  to 
strive  for  cultural  and  spiritual  attain- 


PRESIDENT  JOSEPH 


FIELDING  SMITH 


9 


ment;  to  make  ineffective  the  influence 
of  designing  men  who  would  make 
profit  out  of  their  fellows  who  are 
fallen  so  low  as  to  be  slaves  to  their 
appetites  and  passions,  who  would  fill 
their  purses  through  the  weaknesses  of 
addicts  of  gambling,  drunkenness,  and 
nicotine.  The  gospel  is  a  rational  phi- 
losophy that  teaches  mankind  how  to 
attain  happiness  in  this  life  and  exal- 
tation in  the  life  to  come. 

God  help  us  to  discharge  our 
responsibilities  to  our  youth  by  making 
an  environment  in  home,  in  school,  in 
Church,  and  in  our  communities  that 
will  be  uplifting,  wholesome,  faith- 
inspiring,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

This  powerful  message  was  prepared 


by  President  David  O.  McKay  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,  and  impressively  read  by 
his  son,  Robert,  to  the  edification  and 
benefit  of  all. 

Following  a  brief  Tabernacle  organ 
interlude,  the  Choir  will  sing,  "Thanks 
Be  To  God." 


Selection  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir, 
"Thanks  Be  To  God." 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Many  stations  have  just  tuned  in  on 
this  conference,  and  we  wish  to  extend 
a  hearty  welcome  to  their  listeners. 
President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  Pres- 
ident of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve, 
will  now  speak  to  us. 


PRESIDENT  JOSEPH  FIELDING  SMITH 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  dear  brethren  and  sisters:  Fre- 
quently some  person  comes  to  me  with 
a  personal  problem  in  relation  to  his 
marriage.  The  husband  and  the  wife 
are  not  getting  along  well  together, 
and  a  divorce  seems  to  be  staring  them 
in  the  face.  They  have  a  number  of 
children,  and  yet  differences  arise  that 
seem  to  be  vital  to  their  continued 
union. 

If  the  parents  were  both  living  in 
full  accord  with  the  divine  principles 
of  the  gospel,  such  a  condition  would 
not  arise.  There  would  be  peace  and 
harmony  in  the  home. 

Throughout  the  so-called  Christian 
world,  divorce  is  a  common  thing,  but 
people  in  other  churches  do  not  have 
the  proper  understanding  in  relation  to 
the  marriage  union.  To  them  marriage 
is  at  best  a  temporary  union,  and  the 
ceremony  performed  by  a  minister  or 
a  judge  or  other  official  who  is  legally 
authorized  to  marry  emphatically  and 
definitely  states  that  the  union  shall  be 
until  death,  and  then  the  marriage 
comes  to  an  end.  Their  doctrine  con- 
cerning marriage  is  that  it  is  an  earthly 
ordinance  or  union  and  that  it  ends 
at  death.  This  false  doctrine  is  im- 


pressed upon  their  minds  because  of 
the  statement  of  the  Lord  to  the  Sad- 
ducees  who  came  to  him  with  their 
problems  concerning  the  woman  who 
had  seven  husbands.  I  quote  this  con- 
versation: 

".  .  .  Master,  Moses  wrote  unto  us, 
If  any  man's  brother  die,  having  a 
wife,  and  he  die  without  children,  that 
his  brother  should  take  his  wife,  and 
raise  up  seed  unto  his  brother. 

"There  were  therefore  seven  breth- 
ren: and  the  first  took  a  wife,  and  died 
without  children. 

"And  the  second  took  her  to  wife, 
and  he  died  childless. 

"And  the  third  took  her;  and  in  like 
manner  the  seven  also:  and  they  left 
no  children,  and  died. 

"Last  of  all  the  woman  died  also. 

"Therefore  in  the  resurrection  whose 
wife  of  them  is  she?  for  seven  had  her 
to  wife. 

"And  Jesus  answering  said  unto 
them,  The  children  of  this  world 
marry,  and  are  given  in  marriage: 

"But  they  which  shall  be  accounted 
worthy  to  obtain  that  world,  and  the 
resurrection  from  the  dead,  neither 
marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage: 


10  GENERAL  C 

Sunday,  April  4.  1X5 

"Neither  can  they  die  any  more:  for 
they  are  equal  unto  the  angels;  and 
are  the  children  of  God,  being  the 
children  of  the  resurrection. 

"Now  that  the  dead  are  raised,  even 
Moses  shewed  at  the  bush,  when  he 
calleth  the  Lord  the  God  of  Abraham, 
and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob. 

"For  he  is  not  a  God  of  the  dead, 
but  of  the  living:  for  all  live  unto 
him."  (Luke  20:28-38.) 

Marriage  is  Forever 

Let  us  remember  that  the  first  mar- 
riage on  this  earth,  that  of  Adam  and 
Eve,  was  performed  before  there  was 
any  death  in  the  world;  therefore  it 
was  intended  to  be  forever.  Marriage, 
if  performed  by  divine  authority,  is 
to  last  forever.  In  the  temples  of  the 
Lord  men  and  women  are  married  with 
an  everlasting  covenant.  Children  are 
born  to  them  in  this  covenant  to  be 
theirs  forever,  and  therefore  the  family 
union  was  intended  to  endure  for- 
ever. 

Paul  makes  this  perfectly  clear  in 
his  writings  to  the  Corinthian  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  when  he  declared 
unto  them  that  "Nevertheless  neither 
is  the  man  without  the  woman,  neither 
the  woman  without  the  man,  in  the 
Lord."  (1  Cor.  11:11.)  Again  he  said 
to  the  Ephesians: 

"Wherefore  I  desire  that  ye  faint 
not  at  my  tribulations  for  you,  which 
is  your  glory. 

"For  this  cause  I  bow  my  knees  unto 
the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

"Of  whom  the  whole  family  in 
heaven  and  earth  is  named,"  (Eph. 
3:13-15.) 

The  prevalent  idea  in  the  world 
that  marriage  is  a  covenant  for  this 
life  only  is  in  contradiction  to  what 
is  written  in  the  scriptures.  Let  it  be 
remembered  that  when  Adam  was 
placed  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  there 
was  no  death. 

We  also  read  that  the  Lord  declared 
that  it  was  not  good  for  the  man  to  be 
alone,  therefore  Eve  was  brought  upon 
the  scene  to  be  a  "help  meet  for  him." 
(See  Gen.  2:18.)  Thus  we  see  that 
marriage  and  the  family  organization 
were  intended  to  be  forever.  It  was  by 


First  Day 

a  divine  commandment,  and  Adam 
and  Eve  were  commanded  to  multiply 
and  fill  the  earth  with  their  posterity. 

Family  is  Forever 

In  this  the  final  dispensation,  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  was  taught  by 
revelation  that  the  union  between  a 
man  and  his  wife  was  to  endure  for- 
ever. Death,  while  it  would  intervene, 
was  to  be  only  a  temporary  separation, 
and  the  union  of  husband  and  wife 
would  continue  on  through  all  eternity. 
And  then  the  family  union  would  also 
endure  forever  and  each  generation,  in 
the  kingdom  of  God,  would  be  eternally 
joined  to  the  one  that  went  on  before 
from  the  end  of  time  back  to  the  begin- 
ning. Thus  the  children  of  the  cove- 
nant would  eventually  be  joined  to- 
gether and  the  children  of  God  become 
one  grand  family.  Each  generation 
would  be  linked  to  the  one  which  went 
on  before  of  all  those  who  would  re- 
ceive the  gospel  and  become  members 
of  the  divine  family  of  God. 

President  Young  Unjustly  Condemned 

Now  I  would  like  to  express  another 
thought  which  is  vital  to  us  one  and 
all.  President  Brigham  Young  has 
been  unjustly  condemned  for  a  state- 
ment that  he  made  to  the  effect  that 
Adam  is  our  God  and  the  only  one 
with  whom  we  have  to  do.  President 
Young's  statement  has  been  unmerci- 
fully condemned,  but  what  he  said  is 
a  righteous  principle  and  in  full  accord 
with  the  doctrines  of  the  kingdom  of 
God.  It  is  the  doctrine  of  primogeniture 
in  the  kingdom  of  God  and  a  glorious 
principle  when  it  is  fully  and  clearly 
understood. 

Adam  in  the  Valley 

Permit  me  to  quote  from  a  revelation 
given  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith: 

"Three  years  previous  to  the  death  of 
Adam,  he  called  Seth,  Enos,  Cainan, 
Mahalaleel,  Jared,  Enoch  and  Methuse- 
lah, who  were  all  high  priests,  with  the 
residue  of  his  posterity  who  were  righ- 
teous, into  the  valley  of  Adam-ondi- 
Ahman,  and  there  bestowed  upon  them 
his  last  blessing. 

"And  the  Lord  administered  comfort 


PRESIDENT  JOSEP 

Unto  Adam,  and  said  unto  him:  I  have 
set  thee  to  be  at  the  head;  a  multitude 
of  nations  shall  come  of  thee,  and  thou 
art  a  prince  over  them  forever. 

"And  Adam  stood  up  in  the  midst 
of  the  congregation;  and,  notwith- 
standing he  was  bowed  down  with 
age,  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
predicted  whatsoever  should  befall  his 
posterity  unto  the  latest  generation." 
(D&G  107:53,  55-56.) 

Again  in  another  revelation  given  to 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  we  find  the 
following: 

"That  you  [that  is,  the  Saints] 
may  come  up  unto  the  crown  prepared 
for  you,  and  be  made  rulers  over  many 
kingdoms,  saith  the  Lord  God,  the 
Holy  One  of  Zion,  who  hath  estab- 
lished the  foundations  of  Adam-ondi- 
Ahman; 

"Who  hath  appointed  Michael 
your  prince" 

"Who  hath  appointed  Michael  your 
prince,  and  established  his  feet,  and  set 
him  upon  high,  and  given  unto  him 
the  keys  of  salvation  under  the  counsel 
and  direction  of  the  Holy  One,  who  is 
without  beginning  of  days  or  end  of 
life."  (Ibid.,  78:15-16.) 

Thus  we  learn  by  virtue  of  the  law 
of  primogeniture,  that  all  who  are 
saved  in  the  kingdom  of  God  will  be 
subject  to  Adam,  for  by  divine  appoint- 
ment he  holds  these  keys  under  the 
direction  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  might  carry 
this  law  a  little  further.  According  to 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  Joseph 
Fielding  Smith  will  be  subject  to  his 
father,  and  his  father  to  his  father  in 
the  family  of  God;  and  so  it  will  go 
back  from  the  end  to  the  beginning; 
and  we  will  all  be  obedient  to  Adam, 
whom  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  de- 
clared holds  the  keys  of  salvation  for 
his  posterity  who  are  redeemed,  but 
"under  the  counsel  and  direction  of 
the  Holy  One,"  who  is  Jesus  Christ, 
who  stands  at  the  head  because  he  is 
the  Redeemer  of  the  world,  who  gave 
us,  through  his  atonement,  the  resur- 
rection and  eternal  life  if  we  will 
only  repent  and  keep  his  laws  and 
commandments. 


FIELDING  SMITH  11 

Obey  Ordinances  and  Principles  and 
Gain  Harmony 

If  a  man  and  his  wife  were  earnestly 
and  faithfully  observing  all  the  ordi- 
nances and  principles  of  the  gospel, 
there  could  not  arise  any  cause  for  di- 
vorce. The  joy  and  happiness  pertaining 
to  the  marriage  relationship  would  grow 
sweeter,  and  husband  and  wife  would 
become  more  and  more  attached  to 
each  other  as  the  days  go  by.  Not  only 
would  the  husband  love  the  wife  and 
the  wife  the  husband,  but  children 
born  to  them  would  live  in  an  atmo- 
sphere of  love  and  harmony.  The  love 
of  each  for  the  others  would  not  be 
impaired,  and  moreover  the  love  of 
all  towards  our  Eternal  Father  and  his 
Son  Jesus  Christ  would  be  more  firmly 
rooted  in  their  souls. 

Divorce  was  never  contemplated  in 
the  gospel  plan,  and,  where  true  love 
exists,  disharmony  between  father  and 
mother  and  from  children  to  parents 
will  not  arise.  We  are,  all  of  us  here 
in  this  mortal  world,  on  probation.  We 
were  sent  here  primarily  to  obtain 
tabernacles  for  our  eternal  spirits; 
secondly,  to  be  proved  by  trial,  to 
have  tribulation  as  well  as  the  abun- 
dant joy  and  happiness  that  can  be  ob- 
tained through  a  sacred  covenant  of 
obedience  to  the  eternal  principles  of 
the  gospel.  Mortality,  as  Lehi  informed 
his  children,  is  a  "probationary  state." 
(2  Nephi  2:21.)  It  is  here  where  we  are 
to  be  tried  and  tested  to  see  if  we  will, 
when  shut  out  of  the  presence  of  our 
Eternal  Father  but  still  instructed  in 
the  way  of  eternal  life,  love  and  revere 
him  and  be  true  to  his  Beloved  Son, 
Jesus  Christ.  These  principles  should 
be  laid  in  the  foundation  of  every  home. 
No  prayer  should  be  neglectful  in  re- 
gard to  the  sacred  principles  of  the 
gospel  of  our  Redeemer.  The  Lord  has 
commanded  us,  one  and  all,  to  bring 
our  children  up  in  light  and  truth. 
Where  this  spirit  exists,  disharmony, 
disobedience,  and  neglect  of  sacred 
duties  will  not,  cannot,  succeed. 

Prayer  to  our  Eternal  Father  in  the 
name  of  his  Beloved  Son  should  pre- 
vail in  the  home.  Where  this  is 
observed  in  the  spirit  of  faith  and 
humility,  the  evil  of  divorce  and  dis- 
obedience of  the  commandments  per- 


12 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

taining  to  our  eternal  salvation  cannot 
exist. 

I  conclude  with  a  statement  by 
President  David  O.  McKay: 

"When  we  refer  to  the  breaking  of 
the  marriage  tie,  we  touch  upon  one 
of  the  saddest  experiences  of  life.  For 
a  couple  who  have  basked  in  the  sun- 
shine of  each  other's  love  to  stand  by 
daily  and  see  the  clouds  of  misunder- 
standing and  discord  obscure  the  love- 
light  of  their  lives  is  tragedy  indeed. 
In  the  darkness  that  follows,  the  love 
sparkle  in  each  other's  eyes  is  ob- 
scured. To  restore  it,  fruitless  attempts 
are  made  to  say  the  right  word  and 
to  do  the  right  thing;  but  the  word 
and  act  are  misinterpreted,  and  angry 
retort  reopens  the  wound,  and  hearts 
once  united  become  torn  wider  and 
wider  asunder.  When  this  heartbreak- 
ing state  is  reached,  a  separation  is 
sought.  But  divorce  is  not  the  proper 
solution,  especially  if  there  are  chil- 
dren concerned.  .  .  . 

"Except  in  cases  of  infidelity  or 
other  extreme  conditions,  the  Church 
frowns  upon  divorce,  and  authorities 
look  with  apprehension  upon  the  in- 
creasing number  of  divorces  in  the 
Church.  .  .  . 

«  "Marriage  is  ordained  of  God  that 
children  might  be  so  trained  that  they 
may  eventually  be  worthy  of  Christ's 
presence;  and  that  home  is  happiest 
in  which  they  are  welcomed,  as  God 
and  nature  intended  they  should 
be.  .  .  . 

"Some  young  couples  enter  into 
marriage  and  procrastinate  the  bring- 
ing of  children  into  their  homes.  They 
are  running  a  great  risk.  Marriage  is 
for  the  purpose  of  rearing  a  family, 
and  youth  is  the  time  to  do  it.  I  ad- 


First  Day 

mire  those  young  mothers  with  four 
or  five  children  around  them  now, 
still  young,  happy.  . . . 

"The  principal  reason  for  marriage 
is  to  rear  a  family.  Failure  to  do  so 
is  one  of  the  conditions  that  cause  love 
to  wilt  and  eventually  to  die."  (Gospel 
Ideals,  pp.  469-470,  466.) 

Brethren  and  sisters,  let  us  one  and 
all  be  true  to  every  covenant  of  the 
gospel.  Remember  to  pray  and  give 
obedience  unto  our  Heavenly  Father 
and  his  Beloved  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  I 
humbly  pray  in  the  name  of  our  Re- 
deemer. Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith, 
President  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 
has  just  spoken  to  us.  The  Tabernacle 
Choir  will  now  sing  "Seek  Him  that 
Maketh  the  Seven  Stars."  Following 
the  Choir  the  congregation  will  join 
in  singing,  "Now  Let  Us  Rejoice  in 
the  Day  of  Salvation."  Richard  P. 
Condie  will  conduct,  and  Alexander 
Schriener  is  at  the  organ. 

The  Choir  sang,  "Seek  Him  That 
Maketh  the  Seven  Stars,"  following 
which  number  the  Choir  and  congre- 
gation joined  in  singing  the  hymn, 
"Now  Let  Us  Rejoice  In  The  Day  of 
Salvation." 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

For  the  benefit  of  the  television  and 
radio  audience  we  again  announce  that 
we  are  gathered  in  the  historic  Taber- 
nacle on  Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  in  the  first  session  of  the  135th 
Annual  Conference  of  the  Church. 
Elder  Harold  B.  Lee  of  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve  will  be  our  concluding 
speaker. 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  dear  brothers  and  sisters  and 
friends: 

In  the  few  minutes  allotted  to  me 
this  morning,  I  seek  for  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  to  impress  what  I  have  to  say. 

Just  before  our  Lord  and  Savior's 
earthly  mission  was  to  be  terminated, 


his  "disciples  came  unto  him  privately, 
saying,  Tell  us  .  .  .  what  is  the  sign  of 
thy  coming  .  .  .  ?"  Among  other  things, 
he  said  to  them  that  as  it  was  in  the 
days  which  were  before  the  flood,  so 
shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of 
Man  be.  (Matt.  24:4,  see  v.  44.  In- 
spired Version.) 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 


13 


Wickedness  Caused  God  to  Weep 

As  we  read  from  the  writings  of  the 
early  prophets,  we  discover  what  seems 
to  have  been  the  underlying  evil  which 
brought  about  the  wickedness  which 
caused  God,  who  had  created  mankind, 
to  weep.  In  a  revelation  to  his  faithful 
prophet  Enoch,  God  declared  that  the 
remnant  of  his  children  were  without 
natural  affection,  even  hating  their 
own  blood,  which  in  all  likelihood 
meant  their  children. 

In  his  answer  to  Enoch's  question  as 
to  why  he  wept,  God  replied  that 
".  .  .  among  all  the  workmanship  of 
mine  hands  there  has  not  been  so 
great  wickedness  as  among  thy  breth- 
ren." 

"Sins  upon  the  heads  of  their  fathers" 

Then  he  added:  ".  .  .  behold,  their 
sins  shall  be  upon  the  heads  of  their 
fathers.  .  .  ."  (Moses  7:36-37.)  Evi- 
dently the  parents  of  that  generation 
had  committed  the  great  sin  of  failing 
to  comply  with  the  command  given  to 
all  parents  from  Adam's  day  down  to 
our  own  day.  They  had  failed  to  teach 
the  doctrines  of  salvation  to  their 
children. 

The  Lord  has  warned  us  that,  as  it 
was  in  the  days  of  Noah,  so  shall  it 
be  at  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man. 
God  grant  that  this  people  will  heed 
the  call  of  our  prophet-leaders  and 
teach  their  children  as  the  Lord  has 
commanded  and  escape  the  chastening 
hand  of  Almighty  God. 

Recently  I  had  occasion  to  read  an 
inspiring  article  concerning  an  elderly 
mother  who  was  awarded  an  unusual 
honorary  degree  from  an  Eastern  uni- 
versity "for  outstanding  achievement  as 
a  wife  and  a  mother."  Three  sons  and 
a  daughter  had  won  the  highest  places 
in  educational  and  scientific  fields.  A 
narrator  was  sent  by  his  editor  to  find 
the  reason  to  his  question:  "How  did  it 
happen?"  He  first  sought  the  reason 
from  the  father  of  the  family,  but  he 
didn't  find  the  answer  in  the  sitting 
room  with  the  father,  who  declared 
that  he  was  just  one  of  the  "boys," 
and  referred  the  investigator  to  the 
kitchen  where  the  mother  of  seventy- 
nine  years  still  managed  the  home. 


The  mother  first  had  answered:  "We 
used  the  Bible  and  common  sense." 
She  declared  that  the  only  heredity 
she  felt  played  a  part  was  the  "heredity 
of  training"  which  she  had  inherited 
from  her  own  mother.  "A  child  isn't 
likely  to  learn  good  habits  from  his 
parents  unless  they  learned  them  from 
theirs." 

In  the  discussion  which  followed, 
this  wonderful  mother  gave  expression 
to  some  simple  and  homespun  but 
wonderful  thoughts  on  successful 
family  living.  "If  parents  have  decided 
their  children  haven't  a  chance,  they 
are  not  likely  to  give  them  one." 

Children  Not  Likely  to  Be  Better  than 
Parents 

The  real  answer  to  his  question  as 
to  "how  did  it  happen"  was  to  be 
found  in  one  word:  the  home.  Parents 
forget  that  neither  school  nor  the 
world  can  reform  the  finished  product 
of  a  bad  home.  In  this  mother's  earlier 
years,  no  matter  how  many  servants 
a  mother  could  afford,  she  took  care 
of  her  children  herself.  Children  are 
not  likely  to  be  better  than  the  parents 
are  themselves.  Parents  must  obtain 
the  confidence  of  children  in  all  things 
if  they  do  not  want  to  make  strangers 
of  them  and  have  them  seek  advice 
from  a  boy  on  the  street  corner.  Parents 
must  take  time  to  explain  to  every  child 
every  action  that  affects  him.  She  had 
taken  great  pains  to  teach  them  the 
importance  of  simplicity  in  living  by 
practising  simplicity  and  by  subjecting 
them  to  hard  physical  work.  Each  of 
her  children  had  his  own  bank  account, 
not  to  glorify  money,  she  explained, 
but  to  teach  them  that  money,  no 
matter  how  much  or  how  little,  must 
not  be  wasted.  Children  must  be 
taught  that  hard  work  must  be  in  the 
right  direction — work  that  is  good  in 
itself.  Her  children  were  encouraged  to 
develop  their  natural  bents  and  were 
not  forced  to  choose  a  career.  To  her, 
money  success  for  the  sake  of  money  is 
the  kind  of  success  that  has  nothing  to 
do  either  with  usefulness  or  happiness. 
(One  Thousand  Inspirational  Things, 
p.  42.) 

These  comments  from  those  who 
know  the  importance  of  the  home  and 


14  GENERAL  C 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

family  life  by  their  own  experience  are 
but  testifying  to  the  fundamental  sound- 
ness in  the  instructions  of  the  Lord 
to  parents  in  our  day  as  he  first  gave 
them  to  the  ancients  relative  to  the 
teaching  of  their  children  in  order  to 
stem  the  tide  of  wickedness  among  the 
children  of  the  earth. 

Loss  of  Children  Charged  to  Parents 

From  a  former  President  of  the 
Church,  we  hear  this  warning  to  par- 
ents who  fail  to  teach  their  children: 
".  .  .  if  .  .  .  the  children  go  astray  and 
turn  from  the  truth,  then  the  Lord  has 
said  that  the  sin  shall  be  upon  the 
heads  of  the  parents.  .  .  .  The  loss  of 
these  children  will  be  charged  to  the 
parents,  and  they  will  be  held  respon- 
sible for  their  apostasy  and  darkness. . . . 
My  children  must  not  and  will  not 
turn  away  with  my  consent.  ...  I  will 
endeavor  with  all  the  power  I  possess  to 
have  them  as  true  and  faithful  to  this 

gospel  as  it  is  possible  for  me  to  be  " 

(President  Joseph  F.  Smith,  Deseret 
Evening  News,  June  25,  1898.) 

Redemption  from  Spiritual  Darkness 

The  greatest  demonstration  of  the 
power  of  the  Almighty  we  see  today  is 
the  redemption  of  human  souls  from 
spiritual  darkness  into  spiritual  light. 
I  saw  and  heard  such  a  miracle  re- 
cently when  a  man  who  had  been 
incorrigible  much  of  his  life,  now 
reaching  up  to  his  middle-age  years, 
spoke  by  his  own  request  at  the  fu- 
neral services  of  his  elderly  mother.  His 
father  and  mother,  obedient  to  the 
Lord's  instruction,  had  persisted  in 
teaching  their  children,  including  this 
son,  who  vigorously  and  rudely  re- 
sisted their  efforts.  Despite  this  oppo- 
sition, the  father  continued  in  his  role 
as  a  faithful  father  should;  he  not 
only  taught,  but  every  Sunday  he  fasted 
and  prayed,  especially  for  this  way- 
ward son.  The  father  was  shown  in  a 
dream,  as  though  to  reassure  him,  his 
unruly  son  walking  in  a  dense  fog. 
In  the  dream  he  saw  this  son  walk  out 
of  the  fog  into  bright  sunlight,  cleansed 
by  genuine  repentance.  We  have  seen 
that  boy  now  a  changed  man  and  en- 
joying some  of  the  Lord's  choicest 
blessings  in  the  Church  because  of  his 


First  Day 

faithful  parents  who  didn't  fail  him. 

Parents,  Not  Schools,  Must  Save 
Children  from  Evil 

We  are  hearing  of  and  reading  con- 
stantly of  the  alarming  increase  of 
juvenile  delinquency  and  major  crimes 
among  the  youth,  particularly  sex 
crimes.  An  eminent  educator,  the 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
in  California,  made  this  statement  re- 
cently under  the  subject  heading: 
"Don't  Saddle  Schools  with  Sex  Clean- 
up." He  said,  "At  first  glance  it  would 
seem  that  today's  children  need  in- 
struction in  sexual  matters  as  much  as 
Custer  needed  more  Indians.  From 
morning  until  night,  they  are  fed  an 
almost  unmixed  diet  of  high-calorie, 
highly  commercialized  sex.  .  .  .  The 
so-called  legitimate  stage  has  achieved 
a  condition  of  such  sheer  filth  as  to 
merit  the  adjective  'indescribable.'  We 
are  the  first  generation  since  time  be- 
gan which  has  allowed  its  playwrights 
and  its  actors  to  wallow  in  vileness. . .  . 

"So  a  lot  of  people  are  urging  schools 
to  step  in  and  clean  this  mess  up  by 
giving  the  youngsters  a  good  stiff  dose 
of  sex  education. . . . 

"People  are  not  discouraged  from 
becoming  safecrackers  by  learning  how 
to  manipulate  tumblers  in  the  dark. 
They  avoid  a  life  of  crime  because  they 
are  taught  from  infancy  that  crime  is 
evil.  The  only  way  society  has  ever 
found  to  discourage  misconduct  is  to 
label  it  clearly  as  either  a  crime  or  sin, 
or  both,  and  then  punish  it  accord- 
ingly." 

Then  the  superintendent  of  schools 
concludes:  "Only  when  we  adults,  in 
our  homes,  our  churches,  our  busi- 
nesses, decide  that  we  are  going  to 
set  a  decent  example  and  demand 
decent  behavior  from  the  young,  will 
the  children  start  growing  up  to  be- 
come the  kind  of  people  we  want  them 
to  be,  and  should  have  been  our- 
selves." (Dr.  Max  Rafferty,  The  Salt 
Lake  Tribune,  1964.  Copyright  1965, 
Los  Angeles  Times  Syndicate.)  How 
wise  the  words  of  this  great  educator! 

The  Church  Can  Help 

Just  how  the  Church  is  essential  to 
each  individual  and  to  every  home  in 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 


15 


combating  these  evils  is  rather  dra- 
matically set  forth  in  a  letter  I  re- 
ceived recently  from  a  sister,  a  new 
convert,  now  living  in  the  Middle 
West,  where  I  had  attended  a  stake 
quarterly  conference.  I  quote  from  a 
part  of  her  letter: 

"As  you  spoke,  an  idea  kept  repeat- 
ing itself  in  my  mind:  how  life  as  a 
member  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints  is  like  crossing  a 
swinging  bridge  suspended  between 
the  points  of  birth  by  baptism  into  the 
Church  and  death  into  eternal  life 
over  the  turbulent  stream  of  worldli- 
ness  and  sin.  As  one  starts  out  onto 
the  bridge,  the  nearness  of  his  baptism 
lends  a  feeling  of  security  and  faith, 
but  as  one  becomes  aware  of  the 
stream  below  and  the  vast  expanse  to 
be  crossed,  the  sense  of  security  gives 
way  to  spasmodic  twinges  of  doubt  and 
fear,  causing  one  to  lose  the  rhythm 
of  prayer,  faith,  and  love,  and  work 
which  makes  one's  progress  smooth. 
The  mists  of  doubt  and  apathy  arise 
and  corrode  one's  heart  and  mind, 
impeding  one's  progress  and  restrict- 
ing one's  response  to  the  magnetic 
force  of  love  which  streams  across  the 
bridge.  It  is  then  one  breaks  step  and 
falls  to  his  knees  and  hangs  on  until 
the  force  of  love  restores  faith  and 
direction  to  the  crossing. 

"This  is  where  the  Church  and  its 
Authorities  come  in.  When  they 
speak  it  is  as  if  the  force  of  love  calling 
to  us  becomes  vocal  and  adds  impetus 
to  our  response  to  it,  as  a  voice  calling 
to  us  from  farther  along  the  bridge 
saying,  'Have  faith,  this  is  the  way.' 

"Thank  you  and  God  bless  you  and 
our  prophet,  whom  I  have  never  met, 
but  have  learned  to  love  more  dearly 
because  of  you." 

In  this  analogy  this  gifted  sister  has 
borne  witness  to  the  power  of  one  who 
tries  sincerely  to  teach  the  truths  of 
the  gospel.  Through  inspired  teachers 
and  parent,  one  not  only  can  come 
to  know  the  prophet  of  God,  as  she 
has  said,  but  can  come  to  know  God 
the  Father  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ 
and  thus  gain  an  eternal  anchor  to 
his  soul. 


The  Weekly  Home  Evening 

For  over  half  a  century,  the  leaders 
of  this  Church  have  counseled  with 
parents  in  the  home  to  gather  their 
children  around  them  in  a  weekly 
Home  Evening  and  there  teach  the 
truths  of  salvation — honesty,  sobriety, 
integrity,  and  chastity.  One  of  our 
leaders  has  promised  that  if  parents 
would  do  this,  "ninety-nine  out  of 
every  hundred  children  .  .  .  will  ob- 
serve them  through  life."  (The  Dis- 
courses of  Wilford  Woodruff,  pp.  267- 
268.) 

This  year  our  leaders  have  directed 
us  in  an  intensive  effort  to  observe 
this  weekly  Family  Home  Evening. 
Lesson  materials  with  suggested  ac- 
tivities have  been  prepared  and  are 
now  in  the  hands  of  every  parent  in 
the  Church.  One  night  each  week  all 
meetings,  socials,  or  other  activities 
are  discontinued.  In  the  home  the 
family,  led  by  the  father,  engage  in 
a  Family  Home  Night,  which  consists 
of  scripture  reading,  singing,  and  ac- 
tivities suited  to  the  ages  of  the  chil- 
dren. This  is  the  time  for  a  family 
council  and  free  expressions  of  all 
family  members.  Reports  from 
throughout  the  Church  are  most 
heartening. 

From  a  psychiatrist  comes  this  un- 
usual comment: 

"My  professional  activity,"  he  said, 
"brings  me  in  contact  with  many 
church  members  who  have  problems. 
It  was  a  most  refreshing  experience 
to  receive  the  Family  Night  manual 
and  to  see  the  lesson  materials.  Most 
of  the  problems  I  see  could  be  cor- 
rected if  members  of  the  Church  could 
just  understand  and  live  the  first  three 
lessons  in  the  Family  Night  manual. 
Inferiority  feelings,  trying  to  be 
someone  else  other  than  one's  self, 
and  failure  to  believe  in  repentance 
create  the  background  for  most  of  the 
problems  I  see.  The  Church  Family 
Night  program  is  the  most  effective 
preventive  program  I  have  seen."  (Dr. 
Carlos  Madsen.) 

Testimonies  coming  from  young 
families  concerning  these  programs  as 
they  put  them  into  practice  in  their 
little  families  continue  on  and  on,  as 
we  could  tell  you  of  the  reawakening 


16  GENERAL  Q 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

which  has  come  to  parents  as  they 
are  led  by  the  family  home  manual 
to  guide  their  children  through  these 
important  years  of  their  lives. 
:  Just  as  a  flood-lighted  temple  is 
more  beautiful  in  a  severe  storm  or 
in  a  heavy  fog,  so  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  more  glorious  in  times  Gf 
inward  storm  and  of  personal  sorrow 
and  tormenting  conflict.  When  the 
density  of  the  fog  of  doubt  and  un- 
certainty and  dangers  in  the  way 
ahead  put  fear  into  our  hearts,  God's 
eternal  light  of  gospel  truth  is  more 
beautiful  than  ever  before  because  of 
our  greater  need. 

May  we  remember  the  history  of 
past  generations  and  their  failure  to 
teach  their  children,  lest  the  "sins  of 
today's  children  be  upon  the  heads  of 
today's  fathers." 

I  bear  testimony  to  all  within  the 
sound  of  my  voice  that  God  does  live 
and  that  his  Church,  bearing  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ  our  Savior,  is  among  us 
today.  That  each  and  all  of  us  may 
live  so  that  we  may  be  guided  by  the 
truths  taught  therein  and  teach  our 
children  to  do  likewise,  I  pray  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

He  to  whom  you  have  just  listened  is 
Elder  Harold  B.  Lee  of  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve.  We  are  most  grateful  for 
the  warm  response  from  the  managers 
and  operators  of  the  many  television 
and  radio  stations  in  offering  their  fa- 
cilities as  a  public  service  to  make  the 
proceedings  of  this  conference  avail- 
able to  millions.  We  are  grateful  for 
the  millions  of  persons  who  are  joining 
with  us  on  television  and  radio.  May 


First  Day 

God  bless  them,  that  the  spirit  of  this 
occasion  will  enlighten  their  minds 
and  bring  peace  and  comfort  to  their 
souls.  We  appreciate  also  the  attend- 
ance here  of  educators,  government  of- 
ficials, Church  officials  and  visitors, 
and  all  members  who  are  attending 
this  service. 

We  wish  to  express  our  thanks  and 
deep  appreciation  for  these  beautiful 
flowers  that  decorate  the  rostrum, 
which  have  come  to  us  by  airplane 
from  the  northwest,  Northern  Califor- 
nia and  Arizona.  Three  thousand 
daffodils  came  from  Tacoma  Stake 
through  the  courtesy  of  the  Puyallup 
Valley  Daffodil  Committee.  The  calla 
lilies  are  from  the  high  priests  quorum 
of  Oakland-Berkeley  Stake.  Ten  thou- 
sand sweet  peas  have  been  sent  to  us 
from  the  Mesa  Eleventh  Ward  in  Ari- 
zona. Five  hundred  butterfly  orchids 
have  come  from  San  Jose  West  Stake  in 
California. 

The  Choir  will  now  sing,  "God  So 
Loved  the  World,"  after  which  Howard 
C.  Maycock,  formerly  president  of  the 
North  German  Mission,  will  offer  the 
benediction,  and  this  conference  will 
be  adjourned  until  2:00  p.m.  this  after- 
noon. We  request  that  the  audience 
remain  seated  after  the  benediction  as 
the  Choir  broadcast  will  follow  im- 
mediately, and  any  disturbance  in  the 
congregation  should  be  avoided. 

The  Choir  will  now  sing. 


The  Choir  sang  as  a  closing  number, 
"God  So  Loved  The  World." 

Elder  Howard  C.  Maycock,  formerly 
President  of  the  North  German  Mis- 
sion, offered  the  closing  prayer. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2  o'clock 
p.m. 


FIRST  DAY 
AFTERNOON  MEETING 

The  Conference  reconvened  promptly  in  his  apartment  where  he  watched 

at  2:00  p.  m.,  April  4,  with  President  and  listened  to  the  services  by  means 

Hugh  B.  Brown,  First  Counselor  in  the  of  television. 

First  Presidency  conducting.  President  The  music  for  this  session  was  fur- 
David  O.  McKay,  upon  the  in-  nished  by  the  Salt  Lake  Tabernacle 
stnictions  of  his  physician,  remained  Choir. 


PRESIDENT  HU( 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

This  is  the  second  session  of  the 
135th  Annual  Conference  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.  We  are  convened  in  the  his- 
toric Salt  Lake  Tabernacle  on  Temple 
Square.  Yesterday  and  Friday,  this 
building  was  filled  with  officers  and 
teachers  of  the  Primary  Association, 
who  were  assembled  in  their  annual 
General  Conference.  We  wish  to  com- 
mend the  General  Primary  presidency, 
members  of  the  General  Boards,  stake 
and  ward  officers,  for  their  unselfish 
service  to  the  children  of  our  Church. 
May  God  bless  them  for  their  faith- 
fulness and  loyalty. 

We  are  pleased  to  have  in  attendance 
at  this  conference  the  following  Gen- 
eral Authorities  who  have  come  from 
foreign  countries:  Elder  Ezra  Taft  Ben- 
son of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  and 
president  of  the  European  Mission, 
Elder  Mark  E.  Petersen  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve  and  president  of  the 
West  European  Mission,  Elder  A. 
Theodore  Tuttle  of  the  First  Council 
of  Seventy  and  president  of  the  South 
American  Mission.  All  of  the  General 
Authorities  of  the  Church  are  present 
excepting  President  David  O.  McKay, 
who  has  yielded  to  the  instructions  of 
his  physicians  and  decided  not  to  at- 
tend this  afternoon.  We  were  all 
delighted  with  his  attendance  this 
morning. 

We  are  very  pleased  to  announce  the 
proceedings  of  this  General  Con- 
ference will  be  given  the  most  extensive 
coverage  by  means  of  radio,  television 
and  short  wave  that  the  Church  has 
ever  had.  Over  200  television  and  radio 
stations  are  carrying  all  or  parts  of  the 
Conference;  key  to  the  entire  opera- 
tions, KSL  television  in  Salt  Lake  City. 
You  may  be  interested  in  knowing  that 
the  conference  sessions  will  be  released 
over  Church-owned  international  short 
wave  station  WRUL  with  studios  in 
New  York.  This  station  will  handle 
the  transmission  for  the  proceedings  of 
the  conference  sessions  on  April  4th 
and  5th  to  109  countries  in  Europe, 
parts  of  Asia,  Africa,  Central  and  South 
America,  Mexico,  and  the  Caribbean 
area.  The  corps  of  translators  will  be 
on  hand  to  convert  the  words  of  the 


;h  b.  brown  17 

conference  speakers  into  German,  Span- 
ish and  Portuguese,  making  it  possible 
for  the  immediate  transmission  of  the 
messages  of  the  General  Authorities. 
By  television  and  over  many  radio  sta- 
tions in  South  America,  conference  ses- 
sions will  be  translated  into  Spanish 
and  Portuguese.  All  of  the  sessions  of 
this  conference  will  be  re-broadcast 
over  KSL  radio  from  1:00  a.m.  to  5:00 
a.m.  following  each  conference  day, 
and  can  be  heard  in  many  parts  of 
the  United  States  and  the  world.  We 
express  gratitude  and  our  deepest 
thanks  to  the  owners  and  operators  of 
radio  and  television  stations  for  their 
cooperation  in  making  it  possible  to 
give  such  an  extensive  coverage  to  the 
proceedings  of  this  conference. 

We  call  attention  again  to  the 
beautiful  flowers  on  the  stand,  which 
were  supplied  to  us  by  the  Tacoma 
Stake,  the  Oakland-Berkeley  Stake,  the 
Mesa  11th  Ward,  and  the  San  Jose 
West  Stake.  I  need  not  enumerate 
further,  but  we  appreciate  them  very 
much. 

We  have  many  visitors  this  after- 
noon, including  government  officials, 
local  and  national  educators  and 
others.  We  appreciate  your  presence, 
and  without  naming  you  we  welcome 
you. 

The  singing  for  this  afternoon's  ses- 
sion will  be  furnished  by  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir  with  Richard  P.  Condie 
and  Jay  E.  Welch  conducting,  with 
Alexander  Schreiner  at  the  organ.  We 
shall  begin  this  session  by  the  Choir 
rendering,  "Lovely  Appear,"  conducted 
by  Jay  E.  Welch,  assistant  director. 
The  invocation  will  then  be  offered  by 
Elder  Roland  C.  Bremer,  president  of 
San  Antonio  Stake. 


As  an  opening  number  the  Choir 
sang  "Lovely  Appear,"  conducted  by 
Jay  E.  Welch,  Assistant  Tabernacle 
Choir  director. 

President  Roland  C.  Bremer,  of  the 
San  Antonio  Stake,  offered  the  invoca- 
tion. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  will  now  fa- 
vor us  with  "His  Yoke  is  Easy,"  con- 
ducted by  Richard  P.  Condie,  after 


18 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

which  President  Nathan  Eldon  Tanner, 
second  counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 
of  the  Church,  will  be  our  first  speaker. 
He  will  be  followed  by  Elder  Delbert 
L.   Stapley  of  the  Council  of  the 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 


Twelve. 
We  will  hear  from  the  Choir. 

Singing  by  the  Choir,  "His  Yoke  Is 
Easy." 


PRESIDENT  NATHAN  ELDON  TANNER 

Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 


It  was  a  great  blessing  indeed  to 
have  our  beloved  leader  and  prophet, 
President  David  O.  McKay,  with  us 
this  morning  and  to  be  inspired  by 
his  message  so  beautifully  read  by  his 
son  Robert.  His  spirit  and  blessings 
are  with  us  this  afternoon.  He  is  pre- 
siding. This  conference  is  being  con- 
ducted under  his  direction,  as  he 
watches  our  proceedings  over  televi- 
sion at  home.  Our  hearts  go  out  to 
him,  and  we  pray  that  God's  choicest 
blessings  may  attend  him  always. 

Brethren  and  sisters,  it  is  with  a 
deep  feeling  of  humility  and  heavy 
responsibility  that  I  stand  before  you 
this  afternoon,  and  I  sincerely  pray 
that  the  Spirit  and  blessings  of  the 
Lord  will  attend  and  direct  our  think- 
ing at  this  time. 

I  wish  to  congratulate  the  choir  on 
their  lovely  singing  and  to  express  my 
appreciation  for  the  beautiful  prayers 
and  the  inspiring  talks  given  by  the 
brethren  during  the  first  session  of  our 
conference  this  morning. 

On  behalf  of  the  First  Presidency  I 
bring  greetings  and  blessings  to  all 
assembled  in  this  historic  Tabernacle 
this  afternoon  and  to  our  radio  and 
television  audiences  everywhere. 

Gratitude  for  Many  Blessings 

My  heart  is  full  of  gratitude  for  the 
many  blessings  I  enjoy.  I  am  grateful 
that  I  live  in  this  land  of  peace  and 
plenty,  opportunity  and  freedom;  for 
my  membership  in  this  Church;  for 
the  knowledge  I  have,  a  knowledge 
beyond  doubt  or  question,  that  God 
is  a  personal  God,  that  he  lives,  and 
that  he  so  loved  the  world  that  he 
gave  his  Only  Begotten  Son  for  you 
and  me,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
him  shall  not  perish  but  have  ever- 
lasting life.  Yes,  I  know  as  I  know  I 


live,  and  as  Peter  also  knew  when  he 
answered  Jesus:  "Thou  art  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God."  (Matt. 
16:16.) 

I  am  so  thankful  for  my  wife  and 
family,  for  my  progenitors,  for  my 
grandchildren,  my  friends  and  associ- 
ates, for  the  health  and  strength  that 
my  family  and  I  and  all  of  us  enjoy; 
also,  that  my  family  and  I  can  kneel 
down  and  pray  to  a  personal  God  who 
we  know  is  interested  in  us,  who  will 
hear  and  answer  our  prayers,  who  has 
given  us  the  gospel  which,  if  lived, 
will  lead  to  immortality  and  eternal 
life.  What  a  strength  it  is  to  know 
that  we  are  God's  spirit  children,  that 
we  are  made  in  his  image,  and  that 
we  can  go  with  our  problems  to  him 
as  our  Father  in  heaven. 

Many  times  have  I  expressed  my 
gratitude  to  my  Heavenly  Father  that 
my  forefathers  had  such  a  belief  in 
God  and  such  a  determination  to  wor- 
ship and  serve  him  according  to  the 
dictates  of  their  own  conscience  and 
without  restrictions  that  they  were 
prepared  to  give  up  everything  they 
had  and  leave  their  native  land  and 
come  with  the  Pilgrims  in  the  May- 
flower to  this  great  land  where  they 
could  enjoy  that  freedom  of  worship. 
Though  they  suffered  many  hardships, 
the  rigors  of  cold  and  starvation  and 
influenza  from  which  more  than  half 
of  them  lost  their  lives,  the  survivors 
thanked  God  for  the  privilege  of  reli- 
gious freedom,  which  to  them  was 
sufficient  reward  for  all  the  untold 
suffering  through  which  they  had 
come. 

Let  us  never  forget  that  these  free- 
doms which  we  enjoy,  the  blessings 
and  comforts  and  ideals  which  are 
ours,  as  well  as  the  progress  which 
has  been  made  in  every  field  of  en- 
deavor, have  been  gained  by  the  sacri- 


PRESIDENT  NATHAN  ELDON  TANNER 


19 


fice,  the  pain,  tears,  and  agony  of  some 
souls  who  had  every  reason  to  be  dis- 
couraged but  who  had  faith  in  God 
and  fought  on  to  victory. 

Gratitude  for  Faith  and  Courage  of 
Ancestors 

Again  here  and  now  I  wish  to  express 
my  appreciation  to  my  Heavenly 
Father  for  the  fact  that  my  great-great- 
grandfather, John  Tanner,  and  his 
son,  Nathan,  and  their  families  had  the 
faith  and  courage  to  join  The  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
shortly  after  it  was  organized,  and 
when  it  was  so  unpopular. 

The  records  which  we  have  tell  us 
that  they  were  honest,  honorable,  up- 
right, and  God-fearing  men;  that  they 
were  good  citizens;  that  they  were 
interested  in  their  community;  and 
that  they  believed  in  and  served  God 
as  they  understood.  Though  they  had 
read  and  studied  the  Bible  and  believed 
that  it  was  the  word  of  God,  they  were 
confused  because  of  the  teaching  of  the 
different  churches  that  God  was  an 
incorporeal  being  with  no  material 
body,  parts,  or  passions.  In  fact,  as  Paul 
told  the  Athenians,  many  were  then, 
as  they  are  today,  ignorantly  worship- 
ing an  unknown  God,  or  denying  him 
entirely.  (See  Acts  17:23ff.) 

However,  when  he  heard  the  mes- 
sage of  two  Mormon  missionaries  that 
God  the  Father  and  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ  were  living  personages  and  that 
they  had  appeared  to  the  young  boy 
Joseph  Smith  when  he  went  into  the 
grove  to  pray,  as  Christ  had  appeared  to 
Paul,  John  Tanner  believed  them.  And 
when  he  was  told  of  the  restoration  of 
the  priesthood  and  that  God  had 
spoken  to  man  again  and  had  chosen 
an  individual,  Joseph  Smith,  as  a 
prophet,  seer,  revelator,  and  translator 
by  whom  the  Book  of  Mormon  had 
been  translated,  he  knew  that  this  was 
true.  It  brought  joy  and  satisfaction  to 
his  soul  and  brought  renewed  faith  and 
hope  when  he  realized  that  the  true 
and  everlasting  gospel  in  its  fulness 
had  been  restored  to  the  world. 

How  grateful  I  am  that  his  faith  in 
God  and  his  understanding  of  the 
gospel  and  his  desire  to  serve  God  and 


keep  his  commandments  were  so  great 
that  he  and  his  family  did  not  hesitate 
to  join  the  Church  and  go  through  all 
the  persecutions  that  the  Saints  en- 
dured at  that  time.  They,  with  thou- 
sands of  others,  were  driven  out  of  their 
homes  and,  leaving  everything  they 
had,  were  driven  west  across  the 
plains  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  this 
the  Great  Salt  Lake  Valley,  where  they 
could  enjoy  freedom  of  worship  for 
which  they  had  sacrificed  so  much. 

Testimony  of  Truth 

As  a  result  I  have  been  taught  since 
my  youth  to  have  complete  faith  in 
God  the  Eternal  Father  and  in  his  Son 
Jesus  Christ  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
to  realize  that  Christ  gave  his  life  for 
us  and  was  resurrected,  literally  resur- 
rected, and  through  his  atonement  we 
will  all  be  resurrected,  and  that  all 
mankind  may  be  saved  by  obedience  to 
the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  gospel. 

I  wish  to  bear  my  testimony,  too, 
that  I  know  that  God  speaks  to  his 
people  today  through  a  prophet  as  he 
has  done  in  the  different  dispensations 
of  which  the  Bible  and  the  Book  of 
Mormon  bear  witness  so  clearly.  I 
cannot  express  in  words  my  deep  ap- 
preciation for  the  privilege  I  have  of 
associating  so  closely  with  his  Prophet 
David  O.  McKay  who  leads  the 
Church  today  under  divine  guidance. 

It  is  a  great  opportunity,  privilege, 
and  blessing  to  be  able  to  dedicate  my 
time  and  efforts  entirely  to  sustaining 
him  as  a  prophet  of  God  in  the  service 
of  our  Maker  and  of  our  fellow  men 
and  of  working  so  closely  with  these 
devoted  General  Authorities  to  whom 
you  have  listened  and  to  whom  you 
will  listen  in  this  conference. 

Prayer  for  Wisdom  and  Guidance 

I  pray  that  God  will  give  us  wisdom 
and  direct  our  efforts  as  we  endeavor 
to  lead  the  people  in  the  paths  of  truth 
and  righteousness.  We  are  greatly  con- 
cerned about  conditions  in  the  world 
today,  particularly  the  evils  and 
temptations  facing  our  youth.  We  real- 
ize that  the  great  threat  of  the  future 
today  is  the  decay  of  spiritual,  moral, 
and  family  life. 


20 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

Awful  Specter  of  Crime 

It  is  alarming  to  see  how  crime  is 
increasing  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
United  States  and,  for  that  matter, 
throughout  the  world.  In  the  USA  there 
was  an  increase  in  1964  over  1963  of 
250,000  serious  crimes  that  were  re- 
ported by  the  agencies.  And  the  sta- 
tistics as  issued  by  J.  Edgar  Hoover, 
Director  of  the  Federal  Bureau  of  In- 
vestigation, show  that  in  a  city  the 
size  of  Salt  Lake  City  the  increase  in 
crime  was  up  from  12  to  17  percent. 
There  was  17  percent  more  murder, 
14  percent  more  forcible  rape,  and  17 
percent  more  robbery  in  1964  than  in 
1963. 

Appalling  World  Conditions 

Conditions  in  the  world  are  appall- 
ing. We  have  men  who  from  the 
pulpit  are  questioning  the  divinity  of 
Jesus  Christ.  They  do  not  understand 
the  kind  of  God  they  worship,  and 
people  everywhere  have  lost  their  faith 
and  don't  know  where  to  turn.  Also 
it  is  shocking  indeed  to  read  the 
articles  appearing  in  the  magazines  and 
papers  today  on  the  question  of  mor- 
ality. One  can  hardly  believe  what  he 
reads. 

In  order  to  make  clear  and  to  leave 
no  doubt  as  to  what  I  mean  I  shall 
refer  to  statements  that  have  appeared 
in  books  and  magazines  and  have  been 
attributed  to  university  professors,  chap- 
lains, and  psychiatrists,  many  of  which 
seem  to  challenge  Christianity's  basic 
teachings  against  fornication  and 
adultery. 

A  new  morality  is  being  advocated 
which  proposes  an  ethic  based  on  love 
rather  than  law  in  which  the  ultimate 
criterion  for  right  and  wrong  is  not 
divine  command  but  the  individual's 
subjective  perception  of  what  is  good 
for  himself  and  his  neighbor  in  each 
given  situation. 

Some  maintain  no  sexual  relation- 
ship should  be  absolutely  condemned 
by  the  church.  Others  claim  that  moral 
conduct  is  the  sole  concern  and  re- 
sponsibility of  the  individual.  Some 
argue  that  man  is  free  to  change  occu- 
pations, homes,  states,  or  countries  and 
ask  why  he  should  not  be  free  to 
change  married  partners. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 

We  all  realize  and  are  most  thank- 
ful that  these  views  are  not  generally 
accepted  and,  in  fact,  are  strongly  op- 
posed by  most  people.  Dr.  Norman 
Vincent  Peale  in  commenting  on  the 
alarming  new  line  on  morals  says:  "For 
my  part,  I  have  had  too  much  experi- 
ence with  raw  human  nature  to  believe 
you  can  scale  down  moral  standards 
in  any  area  and  not  reap  a  whirlwind 
of  broken  lives."  ("The  Alarming  New 
Line  on  Morals,"  Deseret  News,  Febru- 
ary 26,  1965.  Permission  granted  by 
Norman  Vincent  Peale.) 

And  as  Paul  admonished  the  Gala- 
tians:  "Be  not  deceived;  God  is  not 
mocked:  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth, 
that  shall  he  also  reap. 

"For  he  that  soweth  to  his  flesh  shall 
of  the  flesh  reap  corruption;  but  be 
that  soweth  to  the  Spirit  shall  of  the 
Spirit  reap  life  everlasting."  (Gal. 
6:7-8.) 

Dr.  Peale  goes  on  to  say,  "The 
sophisticated-intellectual  hue  and  cry 
that  we  must  get  rid  of  the  old  sense  of 
guilt  is  less  than  impressive.  Guilt  can 
be  a  pretty  healthy  deterrent  that  puts 
the  fear  of  God  into  people,  stiffening 
their  moral  sense  and  motivating  them 
to  live  right."  (Peale,  op.  cit.) 

He  then  asks  the  question:  "Should 
the  church  still  teach  a  high  standard 
of  personal  morals?"  and  answers, 
"It  may  shock  you  even  to  have  the 
question  raised,  but  unfortunately  a 
few  ministers  are  verging  toward  a 
permissiveness  that  disturbs  a  lot  of 
thoughtful  people.  The  effort  seem- 
ingly is  to  keep  the  church  somewhat 
in  line  with  paganistic  viewpoints  in 
an  effort,  I  suppose,  to  maintain  an 
influential  rapport  with  these  ele- 
ments. The  policy  seems  to  equate 
Christian  morality  with  worldly  moral- 
ity rather  than  the  maintenance  of  a 
system  of  moral  absolutes.  In  effect,  the 
new  permissive  policy  seems  to  reduce 
Christianity  to  the  world  rather  than 
to  employ  the  tougher  and  more  skill- 
ful strategy  of  bringing  the  world  up  to 
Christianity."  (Idem.  Italics  added.) 

World  Perishing  by  Reason  of  Folly 
and  Defiance  of  God's  Laws 

Imagine  young  people  in  our  schools 
and  our  universities  who  have  not  been 


PRESIDENT  NATHj 

taught  in  their  homes  or  in  their 
churches  an  unwavering  faith  in  God 
and  the  importance  of  good,  clean, 
moral  living  having  to  face  this  kind 
of  thinking  and  temptations  and  evil 
that  is  found  throughout  the  world 
today.  This  must  be  shocking  to  the 
parents  who  realize  that  such  things 
are  going  on.  There  is  a  very  serious 
and  great  danger,  however,  and  that  is 
that  many,  many  of  our  parents  do 
not  realize,  nor  will  they  believe,  that 
these  are  the  conditions  in  the  world 
today  and  therefore  seem  to  be  pre- 
pared to  let  nature  take  its  course. 

Where  are  we  going?  What  is  the 
matter  with  the  world?  How  different 
are  we  from,  and  how  rapidly  are  we 
approaching,  the  pattern  of  life  which 
caused  the  downfall  of  Rome?  This 
was  forcibly  brought  to  the  attention 
of  me  and  all  who  listened  to  Dr. 
Charles  Habib  Malik  of  Lebanon,  pro- 
fessor of  philosophy  at  the  American 
University  of  Beirut.  He  was  presi- 
dent of  the  United  Nations  General 
Assembly  in  1958-59.  In  his  message 
he  said  to  all  Americans: 

"The  world  is  turning  its  back  on 
you  because  you  are  turning  your 
back  on  yourself.  Do  not  turn  from  the 
basics  that  have  made  America  great — 
an  abiding  faith  in  God  and  in  the 
dignity  of  man,  created  in  the  image 
of  God."  (Cited  by  Wendell  J.  Ashton, 
"Weakness  through  Strength,"  back 
page,  The  Instructor,  January  1965.)  He 
appealed  to  America  and  the  world  not 
to  let  the  power  of  material  wealth  and 
learning  corrode  because  of  a  diminish- 
ing faith  in  God.  Imagine  this  having 
to  come  from  a  man  from  Lebanon  or 
from  any  other  country! 

World  Can  Save  Itself  by  Honoring 
God's  Laws 

It  is  true  that  all  through  history  the 
ignoring  of  the  laws  of  God  leads  to 
the  ignoring  and  defying  of  all  law. 
The  scriptures  and  history  teach  us  that 
man  cannot  continue  to  deny  God  and 
ignore  his  laws  and  expect  to  prosper. 
And  as  William  Penn  so  aptly  said: 
"Those  who  are  not  governed  by  God 
will  be  ruled  by  tyrants."  No  one  can 
deny  that  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
the  Ten  Commandments,  and  all  of 


V  ELDON  TANNER  21 

the  teachings  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  offer  a  better  way  of  life  and 
if  lived,  bring  greater  joy,  success,  love, 
prosperity,  and  peace  to  all  and  lead 
to  immortality  and  eternal  life. 

Gratitude  for  Allies  of  God. 
Their  Devotion  and  Dedication 

We  greatly  appreciate  and  wish  to 
express  our  wholehearted  support  to  all 
who  are  engaged  in  the  fight  against 
evil,  and  we  want  you  to  know  that  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  is  determined  to 
do  all  in  its  power  through  its  auxiliary 
organizations,  its  priesthood  quorums, 
its  missionary  program,  and  through 
the  families  of  the  Church  to  uphold 
righteousness  and  live  and  teach  the 
fundamental  principles  of  the  gospel, 
which  is  the  plan  of  life  and  salvation. 

We  greatly  appreciate  the  thousands 
and  thousands  of  individuals  through- 
.out  the  Church  who  are  prepared  to 
accept  office  and  responsibility  in  the 
Church  and  faithfully  live  the  gospel 
and  teach  it  to  all  who  will  listen,  and 
also  to  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
parents  everywhere  who  are  endeavor- 
ing to  live  and  teach  a  faith  in  God 
and  the  principles  of  right  living  to 
their  families. 

Fortify  Solidarity  of  Families  with 
Home  Evening  Programs 

My  wife  and  I  have  been  thrilled 
during  the  last  month  or  so  to  receive 
letters  from  two  of  our  daughters  and 
a  phone  call  from  another  saying  how 
pleased  they  are  and  thankful  for  the 
program  which  helps  them  in  teaching 
the  gospel  and  right  living  in  their 
Family  Home  Evening  once  every 
week.  Here  they  gather  their  children 
around  them  and  teach  them  the  plan 
of  life  and  salvation,  realizing  that 
parents  having  children  in  Zion  are 
commanded  to  teach  them  to  under- 
stand the  doctrines  of  repentance,  faith 
in  Christ  the  Son  of  the  Living  God, 
and  of  baptism  and  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  by  the  laying  on  of  hands. 

Also,  it  gives  them  an  opportunity  to 
get  better  acquainted  with  their  chil- 
dren, to  know  what  they  are  thinking, 
and  to  let  the  children  know  what  the 
parents  are  thinking,  what  they  believe, 
and  what  is  right.  And  the  children 


22  GENERAL  C 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

really  enjoy  it.  They  are  taught  that 
we  are  the  children  of  God  and  that 
as  his  children  we  have  that  spark  of 
divinity  in  us  which  makes  it  possible 
for  us  to  reach  immortal  heights  by 
living  according  to  the  teachings  of  the 
gospel  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

It  is  encouraging  to  know  that  my 
grandchildren,  twenty-four  of  them, 
are  being  taught  to  pray  to  God  and 
thank  him  for  his  many  blessings  and 
ask  for  his  guidance  and  strength  from 
day  to  day,  to  have  faith  in  him,  to 
realize  that  they  have  a  purpose  in 
life,  and  that  the  principles  taught  by 
Jesus  Christ  are  the  principles  by  which 
we  must  govern  our  lives.  Where  can 
you  find  a  lovelier  sight  than  a  family 
kneeling  together  in  prayer  to  their 


First  Day 

Father  in  heaven  in  the  full  knowledge 
that  he  can  and  will  hear  and  answer 
their  prayers? 

Families  throughout  the  Church  are 
being  taught  these  things,  and  they  are 
taught  to  be  honest,  true,  chaste,  be- 
nevolent, virtuous,  and  to  do  good  to 
all  men.  They  are  also  taught  that  if 
there  is  anything  virtuous,  lovely,  or  of 
good  report  or  praiseworthy,  to  seek 
after  these  things  and  that  to  meet  the 
evils  and  temptations  in  the  world 
today  we  must  have  faith  in  God  and 
live  according  to  the  principles  of  the 
gospel  as  taught  by  Jesus  Christ. 

May  we  all  have  the  vision,  the 
faith,  and  the  courage  to  so  order  our 
lives,  I  humbly  pray  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


ELDER  DELBERT  L.  STAPLEY 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  brothers  and  sisters  and  friends, 
and  this  includes  the  unseen  listening 
audience  hearing  this  service  this  after- 
noon, I  wish  to  express  a  few  thoughts 
which  to  me  appear  timely  and  im- 
portant. I  am  deeply  concerned  with 
the  unmoral  and  unethical  trends  in 
our  society  and  the  American  way  of 
life  established  by  the  founding  fathers 
of  our  beloved  country.  The  very 
foundations  of  moral  and  ethical  be- 
havior are  crumbling  about  us.  This 
President  David  O.  McKay  pointed  out 
so  poignantly  and  eloquently  to  us 
this  morning.  Satan  seems  to  have 
power  over  his  dominions. 

Beware  the  Forces  of  Destruction 

There  are  many-headed  serpents  at 
work  in  the  world,  and  often  unknow- 
ingly, or  unwittingly,  but  certainly  un- 
wisely, some  folk  play  into  the  hands 
of  wicked,  designing  men  and  en- 
dorse and  promote  their  crafty  schemes 
and  plans  which  are  evil  and  harmful 
to  the  society  of  decent  men  and 
women.  These  evil  influences  which 
are  insidiously  creeping  in  among  us 
paint  an  alarming  view  for  the  future 
if  we  do  not  awaken  and  take  proper 
action  to  reverse  these  undesirable 
trends. 


"Monster  of  frightful  mien" 

The  issues  may  not  appear  to  be  too 
significant  when  each  promotion  is 
quietly  initiated,  but  with  an  apathetic 
populace  and  the  sympathetic  support 
of  misguided  prominent  men  and 
women,  both  in  and  out  of  public 
office,  they  are  coming  with  more 
regularity  and  frequency  as  power  of 
position  increases.  Too  many  of  us  are 
naive,  undiscerning,  and  unsuspecting 
in  these  matters.  We  do  not  acquaint 
ourselves  sufficiently  with  vital  issues 
which  should  concern  us,  nor  do  we 
always  determine  the  motives  behind 
them;  therefore,  by  our  complacency 
and  the  subtle  claims  of  value  by  the 
promoters,  we  seem  to  be  unaware  of 
the  seriousness  these  issues  present. 

Only  with  knowledge  of  the  affairs 
and  happenings  of  national,  state,  and 
community  interest,  with  eternal  and 
watchful  vigilance,  can  the  honest  in 
heart  be  safeguarded  against  designing 
men  and  the  underworld  element  of 
iniquity,  who  want  to  set  up  for 
financial  gain  many  forms  of  vice  and 
harmful  substances  detrimental  and 
degrading  to  the  physical,  moral,  and 
spiritual  well-being  of  young  and  old 
alike. 


ELDER  DELBEl 

Evil  Is  Aggressive  and  Ruthless 

When  these  Satanic  influences  get 
their  foot  in  the  door,  they  will  attempt 
to  ride  roughshod  over  the  barriers  of 
decency  to  expand  their  diabolical 
plans  and  operations.  All  the  proposed 
controls  to  these  evils  will  be  swept 
aside  and  the  innocent  and  undiscern- 
ing  exposed  to  every  nefarious  scheme 
promoted  by  such  powerful  organized 
interests. 

The  Best  Defense 

We  must  be  an  alert  people,  ever 
defending  our  rights,  liberties,  and 
ideals  by  active  and  interested  partici- 
pation in  all  which  concerns  us. 
Throughout  this  nation  many  doors  in 
devious  ways  are  being  opened  to  the 
underworld  with  their  racketeering 
and  evil  designs.  It  seems  so  many  of 
us  who  could  act  cooperatively  and 
legitimately  according  to  just  pur- 
poses and  procedures  conform  by  co- 
ercion because  it  is  the  order  of  the 
day,  rather  than  take  an  active  part 
for  that  which  is  right  and  be  cou- 
rageous enough  to  stand  up  and  be 
counted  for  being  on  the  side  of  right. 

I  do  not  mean  people  or  groups 
should  lawlessly  take  things  into  their 
own  hands,  but  rather  seek  redress 
by  personal  or  written  petition  accord- 
ing to  the  rights  and  privileges  guar- 
anteed by  the  basic  constitution  of  this 
land.  To  assure  security  of  righteous 
purpose,  the  Lord  has  warned  and 
counseled: 

".  .  .  when  the  wicked  rule  the 
people  mourn. 

"Wherefore,  honest  men  and  wise 
men  should  be  sought  for  diligently, 
and  good  men  and  wise  men  ye  should 
observe  to  uphold;  otherwise  whatso- 
ever is  less  than  these  cometh  of  evil." 
(D&C  98:9-10.) 

There  are  many  do-gooders  and  pre- 
ferential organized  interests  which  con- 
fuse many  issues  and  tend  to  dominate 
by  coercion  and  intimidation  the 
minds  and  the  morale  of  men.  Honest 
and  honorable  men  and  women  are 
constant  subjects  of  deception  by  the 
unscrupulous,  ambitious  agents  of 
darkness. 


1  L.  STAPLEY  23 

Power  on  the  Lord's  Side 

The  Lord  has  spoken  and  warned: 

"Hearken,  O  ye  people,  and  open 
your  hearts  and  give  ear  from  afar; 
and  listen,  you  that  call  yourselves 
the  people  of  the  Lord,  and  hear  the 
word  of  the  Lord  and  his  will  con- 
cerning you. 

"For  this  is  a  day  of  warning,  and 
not  a  day  of  many  words.  For  I,  the 
Lord,  am  not  to  be  mocked  in  the 
last  days."  (Ibid.,  63:1,  58.) 

He  has  further  said  that  he  requires 
the  heart  and  a  willing  mind  and  the 
obedience  of  the  children  of  men  in 
these  last  days,  and  that  he  expects  us 
to  walk  in  all  the  commandments  of 
God  blameless.  (See  ibid.,  64:22,  34; 
88:133.) 

Why  are  we  gathered  here  in  the 
tops  of  the  mountains?  We  are  assem- 
bled here  unitedly  to  perfect  ourselves 
and  be  living  examples  of  that  which 
we  proclaim  unto  the  world — God's 
word  and  law.  It  is  from  here  that  the 
word  of  the  Lord  is  to  go  forth  to 
all  nations.  The  law  cannot  go  forth 
from  Zion  in  power  to  the  people  of 
the  world,  and  successfully  so,  without 
faithful  example  and  courageous  spiri- 
tual firmness  by  the  Saints  to  support 
fully  every  principle,  standard,  and 
ideal  which  is  part  and  parcel  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"Now  is  the  time  to  show!" 

The  enemies  of  righteousness  should 
know  our  works,  sincerity  of  purpose 
and  convictions,  and  where  we  as  a 
Church  and  people  stand  on  vital 
moral  issues. 

All  good,  honorable  men  and  women 
are  invited,  welcomed,  and  received 
gladly  in  our  communities  to  enjoy 
the  benefit  of  our  society,  spiritual  en- 
vironment, companionship,  and  friend- 
ship. All  of  us  should  be  intensely 
interested  in  wholesome  community 
life  with  a  moral  and  spiritual  in- 
fluence where  families  are  free  from 
all  forms  of  vices  and  enticements  to 
do  evil.  We  should  not  open  our  doors 
to  questionable  influences  because  we 
are  not  interested  in  them  nor  do  we 
wish  to  expose  ourselves  or  our  loved 
ones  to  that  which  they  offer.  No 
individual  or  institution  or  organiza- 


24  GENERAL  C 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

tion  of  men  can  offer  anything  com- 
parable to  what  the  Lord  has  given 
his  people.  It  is  his  gospel  plan  and 
way  of  righteousness  we  seek.  Anything 
contrary  cannot  bring  happiness  and 
peace.  As  people  of  the  Lord  we  are 
different,  and  we  choose,  and  I  hope 
dare,  always  to  be  different. 

Uphold  the  Ways  of  the  Lord 

We  are  therefore  set  apart  to  uphold 
the  ways  of  the  Lord  and  sustain  the 
virtues  of  Godliness  in  our  personal 
lives  and  by  our  example  of  righteous- 
ness stand  as  an  ensign  of  hope  and 
goodwill  to  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

The  Lord  has  declared  that  ".  .  .  the 
rebellious  shall  be  pierced  with  much 
sorrow;  .  .  . 

"For  they  have  strayed  from  mine 
ordinances,  and  have  broken  mine 
everlasting  covenant; 

"They  seek  not  the  Lord  to  establish 
his  righteousness,  but  every  man  walk- 
eth  in  his  own  way,  and  after  the 
image  of  his  own  God,  whose  image 
is  in  the  likeness  of  the  world,  .  .  ." 
(Ibid.,  1:3,  15-16.) 

No  Compromise  with  Evil 

Can  we  risk  liberality  in  our  personal 
viewpoints  and  interpret  to  our  own 
selfish  ends  the  revelations  from  the 
Lord  as  taught  in  scripture  and  by 
divinely  called  men  and  thus  attempt 
to  set  at  naught  the  commandments  of 
God?  We  are  advised  not  to  trifle 
with  sacred  things.  It  isn't  wise  for 
man  to  set  aside  the  counsels  of  God 
and  walk  in  his  own  way,  which  way 
is  a  path  of  pitfalls  and  of  the  errors  of 
darkness.  Every  soul  should  seek 
through  righteousness  the  light  of  the 
Spirit  as  a  guide  through  his  entire 
mortal  life. 

In  large  measure  truth  these  days  is 
so  screened  and  bantered  about  that 
it  walks  a  tightrope.  Truth  not  only 
requires  of  us  a  good  knowledge  of  the 
revealed  word  which  constitutes  our 
path  of  safety  for  the  kind  of  life  God 
intends  us  to  live,  but  also  faith  and 
testimony  of  those  things  which  give 
us  the  motivating  desire  to  act  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  God.  Our  beloved 
Savior  said  he  came  ".  .  .  not  to  do 
mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of  him 
that  sent  me." 


First  Day 

".  .  .  for  I  do  always  those  things 
that  please  him."  (John  6:38,  8:29.) 

Vigorous  Offensive  Guided  and 
Sustained  by  Righteousness  and  Truth 

The  same  reverent  attitude  and 
willing  obedience  should  abide  in  the 
hearts  of  all  mankind  today. 

Are  we  at  any  time  ever  justified 
in  sacrificing  the  teachings  of  eternal 
principles  for  gain  or  favor  to  satisfy 
our  personal  desires  and  vain  ambi- 
tions? Are  we  ever  justified  when  we 
appease  individuals  or  organized  pres- 
sure interests  whose  demands  are 
adverse  to  the  beneficial  moral  and 
spiritual  blessing  of  people? 

Mormon,  an  ancient  prophet  of  the 
Americas,  wisely  said: 

"Wherefore,  all  things  which  are 
good  cometh  of  God;  and  that  which  is 
evil  cometh  of  the  devil;  for  the  devil 
is  an  enemy  unto  God,  and  fighteth 
against  him  continually,  and  inviteth 
and  enticeth  to  sin,  and  to  do  that 
which  is  evil  continually. 

"But  behold,  that  which  is  of  God 
inviteth  and  enticeth  to  do  good  con- 
tinually; wherefore,  every  thing  which 
inviteth  and  enticeth  to  do  good,  and 
to  love  God,  and  to  serve  him,  is  in- 
spired of  God."  (Moroni  7:12-13.) 

This  statement  rings  with  truth  and 
understanding. 

Nephi,  another  great  American 
prophet,  records  that  he  was  led  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  the  things  which  he 
did.  Explaining  to  the  understanding 
of  his  brothers  on  one  occasion  about 
the  teachings  of  their  father  which 
they  did  not  comprehend,  he  asked 
them  this  enlightening  question: 

"Have  ye  inquired  of  the  Lord?"  (1 
Nephi  15:8.) 

Here  is  an  important  key.  It  takes 
faith  to  inquire  of  the  Lord,  and  faith 
requires  righteousness  of  lives  to  secure 
an  answer  from  God. 

Another  early  American  prophet 
counseled: 

"For  the  natural  man  is  an  enemy 
to  God,  and  has  been  from  the  fall  of 
Adam,  and  will  be,  forever  and  ever, 
unless  he  yields  to  the  enticings  of  the 
Holy  Spirit, . . ."  (Mosiah  3:19.) 

Can  a  man  or  woman  who  inquires 
of  the  Lord  and  truly  desires  to  be  led 


ELDER  DELBEi 

by  the  Spirit  and  willingly  yields  to 
the  enticings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  support 
and  approve  any  plan  or  promotion  of 
evil  intent  or  purpose  contrary  to  his 
or  her  convictions  and  be  able  to 
square  his  conscience  with  moral  up- 
rightness? 

We  are  not  true  to  our  God  nor  sup- 
porting as  we  should  the  gospel  of 
his  Son,  our  Beloved  Savior,  when  we 
give  encouragement  to  and  champion 
iniquitous  causes  of  sin  and  degrada- 
tion, which  can  only  destroy  the 
virtues  of  Christlike  character  and 
the  fundamentals  of  true  religion  in  the 
lives  of  people. 

The  great  Prophet  Alma  admonish- 
ing his  people  said: 

".  .  .  can  ye  imagine  yourselves 
brought  before  the  tribunal  of  God 
with  your  souls  filled  with  guilt  and 
remorse,  having  a  remembrance  of  all 
your  guilt,  yea,  a  perfect  remembrance 
of  all  your  wickedness,  yea,  a  remem- 
brance that  ye  have  set  at  defiance  the 
commandments  of  God?  .  .  . 

"I  say  unto  you,  can  ye  look  up 
to  God  at  that  day  with  a  pure  heart 
and  clean  hands? 

"I  say  unto  you,  can  ye  think  of 
being  saved  when  you  have  yielded 
yourselves  to  become  subjects  to  the 
devil?"  (Alma  5:18-20.) 

Later,  in  this  same  discourse  the 
following  is  recorded: 

"For  I  say  unto  you  that  whatsoever 
is  good  cometh  from  God,  and  whatso- 
ever is  evil  cometh  from  the  devil." 
(Ibid.,  5:40.) 

God  Has  Marked  the  Path 

We  have  no  excuse  to  err  in  our 
knowledge  and  understanding  of  right 
and  wrong  because  God  has  marked 
out  the  path,  the  straight  and  narrow 
way  which  leads  to  life  eternal.  An 
ancient  American  prophet  said  that 
".  .  .  men  are  instructed  sufficiently 
that  they  know  good  from  evil."  (2 
Nephi  2:5.)  The  oppositions  of  man 
cannot  change  truth  or  principle,  or 
moral  or  ethical  standards  as  revealed 
of  God;  therefore,  men  have  no  excuse 
for  not  arriving  at  right  answers  and 
decisions  in  all  matters  which  come 
before  them.  By  inquiring  of  the  Lord 
and  listening  to  the  voice  of  his  Spirit 


T  L.  STAPLEY  25 

and  having  a  willingness  to  be  guided 
thereby,  we  will  always  find  ourselves 
on  the  Lord's  side  of  every  issue  and 
be  strengthened  to  defend  and  hold 
fast  to  that  which  is  good  and  accept- 
able to  our  God. 

Another  prophet  challenged  his 
people  by  saying: 

"Behold,  the  scriptures  are  before 
you;  if  ye  will  wrest  them  it  shall  be  to 
your  own  destruction."  (Alma  13:20.) 

"For  behold,  the  Lord  hath  said: 
I  will  not  succor  my  people  in  the  day 
of  their  transgression;  but  I  will  hedge 
up  their  ways  that  they  prosper  not; 
and  their  doings  shall  be  as  a  stum- 
bling block  before  them."  (Mosiah 
7:29.) 

Alma,  counseling  his  son  against  the 
insidious  works  of  darkness,  said  to 
him: 

".  .  .  trust  not  those  secret  plans 
unto  this  people,  but  teach  them  an 
everlasting  hatred  against  sin  and  in- 
iquity." (Alma  37:32.) 

Continuing,  he  admonished: 
'Teach  them  to  never  be  weary  of 
good  works,  but  to  be  meek  and  lowly 
in  heart;  for  such  shall  find  rest  to 
their  souls."  (Ibid.,  37:34.) 

In  our  day  the  Lord  has  declared: 
".  .  .  mine  anger  is  kindled  against 
the  rebellious,  .  .  . 

"And  he  that  will  not  take  up  his 
cross  and  follow  me,  and  keep  my  com- 
mandments, the  same  shall  not  be 
saved. 

"Behold,  I,  the  Lord,  command;  and 
he  that  will  not  obey  shall  be  cut  off 
in  mine  own  due  time,  after  I  have 
commanded  and  the  commandment  is 
broken."  (D&C  56:1-3.) 

The  following  are  some  additional 
latter-day  scriptures  which  are  most 
meaningful  and  a  knowledge  of  which 
should  encourage  every  person  to  righ- 
teous living  and  Godly  pursuits: 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  wo 
be  unto  him  that  lieth  to  deceive  be- 
cause he  supposeth  that  another  lieth 
to  deceive,  for  such  are  not  exempt 
from  the  justice  of  God."  (Ibid., 
10:28.) 

"And  I  give  unto  you  a  command- 
ment, that  ye  shall  forsake  all  evil  and 
cleave  unto  all  good,  that  ye  shall  live 
by  every  word  which  proceedeth  forth 


26  GENERAL  C 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

out  of  the  mouth  of  God."  (Ibid., 
98:11.) 

"Therefore,  be  not  afraid  of  your 
enemies,  for  I  have  decreed  in  my 
heart,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  prove 
you  in  all  things,  whether  you  will 
abide  in  my  covenant,  even  unto  death, 
that  you  may  be  found  worthy. 

"For  if  ye  will  not  abide  in  my 
covenant  ye  are  not  worthy  of  me." 
(Ibid.,  98:14-15.) 

"And  this  shall  be  our  covenant — 
that  we  will  walk  in  all  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  Lord."  (Ibid.,  136:4.) 

"Wherefore,  let  every  man  beware 
lest  he  do  that  which  is  not  in  truth 
and  righteousness  before  me."  (Ibid., 
50:9.) 

"For  of  him  unto  whom  much  is 
given  much  is  required;  and  he  who 
sins  against  the  greater  light  shall 
receive  the  greater  condemnation. 

".  .  .  and  inasmuch  as  ye  keep  not 
my  sayings,  which  I  give  unto  you,  ye 
become  transgressors;  and  justice  and 
judgment  are  the  penalty  which  is 
affixed  unto  my  law."  (Ibid.,  82:3-4.) 

My  brothers  and  sisters  and  friends, 
these  scriptural  quotations  clearly  de- 
fine the  true  course  God  would  have 
us  live.  To  keep  the  commandments 
of  God  is  the  whole  duty  of  man.  God 
has  decreed  that  his  law  is  to  be  kept 
on  this  land. 

It  is  our  obligation  to  unitedly  stand 
firm  and  steadfast  and  immovable  in 
keeping  the  commandments  of  God 
and  unequivocally  support  firmly  that 
which  God  has  revealed  and  teaches 
so  clearly  to  the  understanding  of  all 
who  desire  to  understand.  We  cannot 
be  passive  nor  complacent  about  issues 
which  destroy  the  rights,  privileges, 
and  freedoms  which  God  has  given  us. 

Should  any  individual  or  group  de- 
precate or  deal  loosely  with  temporal, 
moral,  and  spiritual  basics,  the  bless- 
ings of  heaven  will  not  abide  with 
them.  We  cannot  go  along  with  the 
crowd  and  do  as  they  do.  We  choose  to 
be  different  because  we  are  different. 
To  be  worldly  minded  separates  us 
from  heavenly  blessings  and  oppor- 
tunities for  true  happiness  and  peace. 

"Walk  uprightly  before  the  Lord," 
and  Never  Waver 

We  should  never  waver  as  a  people 


First  Day 

in  our  determination  to  support  moral 
issues.  Any  vacillation  would  permit 
our  courage  to  be  tested  for  enactments 
and  promotions  which  are  evil  and 
harmful  in  nature.  It  reminds  one  of 
the  dares  youth  often  make  to  each 
other  to  do  something  that  is  not 
proper  or  right  or  wise.  Accepting  a 
dare  often  ends  disastrously.  There  is 
no  wisdom  or  justification  in  giving  ear 
to  such  taunts  and  irresponsible  chal- 
lenges. We  must  uphold  and  maintain 
that  which  we  believe  and  know  to  be 
right  with  a  firmness  of  conviction 
and  purpose.  This  will  provide  a 
wholesome  moral  and  spiritual  in- 
fluence in  our  communities  and  appeal 
to  those  who  desire  a  quality  environ- 
ment for  a  peaceful  and  rewarding 
home  life  where  children  can  grow 
up  with  companionships  of  young  men 
and  women  with  like  moral  and  spiri- 
tual standards  and  ideals. 

I  pray  that  God  will  bless  all  of  us 
to  be  true  and  faithful  to  the  trusts, 
obligations,  and  covenants  we  have 
entered  into  with  him  and  to  honor- 
ably keep  every  condition  of  our  vows, 
I  humbly  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Delbert  L.  Stapley  of  the 
Council  of  Twelve  has  just  spoken  to 
us,  and  before  him  President  Nathan 
Eldon  Tanner  of  the  First  Presidency. 

We  have  just  received  an  interesting 
note  which  I  am  sure  you  will  enjoy 
hearing.  Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson  re- 
ceived word  from  his  daughter  in 
Frankfurt,  Germany,  at  noon  that  the 
proceedings  of  this  morning's  session 
were  heard  there  in  Germany  in  the 
German  language  and  they  came 
through  beautifully  to  the  edification 
and  blessing  and  delight  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  and  their  friends. 

The  Choir  and  congregation  will 
now  join  in  singing,  "High  On 
A  Mountain  Top,  A  Banner  is  Un- 
furled," conducted  by  Jay  E.  Welch. 
After  the  singing  Elder  Bruce  R.  Mc- 
Conkie  of  the  First  Council  of  Seventy 
will  speak  to  us. 

The  Choir  and  congregation  joined 
in  singing  the  hymn,  "High  On  the 
Mountain  Top." 


ELDER  BRUCE  R.  McCONKIE 


27 


President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  McConkie  will  be  followed  by 
Elder  A.  Theodore  Tuittle  of  the  Coun- 


cil of  Seventy,  and  President  of  the 
South  American  Mission. 
Elder  McConkie. 


ELDER  BRUCE  R.  McCONKIE 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


There  are  in  the  world  great  hosts  of 
upright  and  good  people,  men  and 
women  of  goodwill,  who  desire  in  their 
hearts  to  know  the  truth  about  re- 
ligion. They  see  conflicting  claims 
everywhere,  claims  supporting  both  the 
philosophies  of  the  world  and  the  vari- 
ous religious  systems. 

These  truth  seekers  feel  in  their 
hearts  that  there  ought  to  be  unity 
where  religion  is  concerned,  unity 
based  on  complete,  ultimate  truth. 
They  see  movements  afoot  to  bring 
organizational  unity  into  the  Christian 
world,  and  yet  they  find  those  who 
give  lip  service  to  unity  crying,  "Lo, 
here  is  Christ,  or  there.  .  .  ."  (Matt. 
24:23.)  They  wonder  why  men  do  not 
come  to  a  unity  of  the  faith,  why  they 
do  not  find  the  ultimate  truth  about 
religion,  just  as  men  come  to  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  truth  in  scientific  fields. 

Well,  this  condition  has  prevailed 
over  the  years.  It  existed  in  the  days 
of  Joseph  Smith.  He  was  in  the  midst 
of  a  religious  revival  on  the  frontier 
area  of  America.  He  heard  the  cry  that 
here  was  salvation,  or  there.  He  reached 
the  conclusion  that  ".  .  .  the  teachers 
of  religion  of  the  different  sects  under- 
stood the  same  passages  of  scripture  so 
differently  as  to  destroy  all  confidence 
in  settling  the  question  by  an  appeal  to 
the  Bible."  (Joseph  Smith  2:12.) 

Then  he  read  these  glorious  words  in 
the  book  of  James:  "If  any  of  you  lack 
wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth 
to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth 
not;  and  it  shall  be  given  him,"  fol- 
lowed by  the  counsel,  "But  let  him 
ask  in  faith,  nothing  wavering.  For  he 
that  wavereth  is  like  a  wave  of  the 
sea  driven  with  the  wind  and  tossed." 
(James  1:5-6.)  As  the  Spirit  worked 
upon  him,  he,  meditating  upon  these 
words,  was  led  to  offer  that  prayer 
which  ushered  in  this  great,  final  gos- 
pel dispensation, 


Now,  every  person  of  goodwill,  every 
honest  truth  seeker,  every  person  with 
a  devout  desire  to  find  the  truth  in  the 
field  of  religion  is  faced  with  the  same 
problem  which  confronted  Joseph 
Smith,  and  every  person  can  find  the 
answer  in  the  same  way  he  found  it; 
for  God,  who  is  no  respecter  of  per- 
sons, in  whose  sight  a  soul  is  just 
as  precious  today  as  it  ever  was,  will 
give  wisdom,  will  give  light  and  truth 
and  revelation  to  those  who  ask  in 
faith. 

He  Will  Answer 

We  are  the  children  of  God  our 
Father;  he  loves  us,  has  an  intense 
interest  in  our  well-being,  and  desires 
to  see  us  progress  and  advance  until 
we  become  like  him.  He  is  willing — 
provided  we  pay  the  investigator's  price 
— to  give  us  wisdom  and  knowledge, 
to  reveal  to  us  the  truth  about  re- 
ligion so  that  we  can  walk  in  that 
course  and  way  in  which  he  would 
have  us  go. 

How  to  Receive  His  Answer 

In  view  of  this,  may  I  mention  a 
specific  way  and  means  which  will 
enable  men  to  get  in  tune  with  the 
Lord,  to  get  themselves  in  the  frame 
of  mind  to  exercise  the  necessary  faith, 
the  faith  which  will  bring  a  personal 
manifestation  from  him  as  to  the  truth 
and  divinity  of  this  great  latter-day 
work. 

Remember,  we  proclaim  to  the  world 
a  message,  the  message  of  the  restora- 
tion. This  message  is  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  Son  of  God,  that  salvation  is  in 
him,  that  because  of  his  atoning  sacri- 
fice all  men  are  raised  in  immortality, 
and  those  who  believe  and  obey  his 
laws  are  raised  unto  eternal  life.  This 
message  is  that  in  our  day,  primarily 
through  the  instrumentality  of  Joseph 


28  GENERAL  C 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

Smith,  there  has  been  a  restoration 
of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  and  the 
knowledge  of  salvation.  And  this  mes- 
sage is,  further,  that  The  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  as 
now  constituted,  is  the  Church  and 
kingdom  of  God  on  earth,  the  one 
place  where  salvation  is  found,  the 
place  where  men  can  come  to  learn  the 
eternal  verities  in  the  fields  of  re- 
ligion and  salvation. 

Now,  the  Lord  has  placed  in  our 
hands  the  way  and  the  means  to  pre- 
sent this  message  to  the  world,  to  pre- 
sent it  in  such  a  way  that  every  honest 
truth  seeker  can  be  guided  and  en- 
abled to  know  where  the  truth  is.  By 
using  this  means  every  truth  seeker 
can  learn  how  to  get  in  communion 
with  Deity  and  how  to  get  personal 
revelation  from  that  God  who  does  not 
upbraid  and  who  desires  to  see  his 
children  come  to  the  light  and  truth 
of  heaven. 

The  Book  of  Mormon 

This  way  and  means,  given  of  God 
to  establish  the  truth  of  his  work,  is 
the  Book  of  Mormon.  May  I  call  your 
attention  to  the  inspired  words  of 
Joseph  Smith,  words  written  by  the 
spirit  of  prophecy  and  revelation  on 
the  day  the  Church  was  organized  in 
this  dispensation.  In  them  the  Prophet 
first  announces  that  the  Church  has 
been  organized.  Then  he  says  that 
".  .  .  through  faith,  God  ministered 
unto  him  by  an  holy  angel,  whose 
countenance  was  as  lightning,  and 
whose  garments  were  pure  and  white 
above  all  other  whiteness";  (D&C 
20:6.) 

He  then  says  he  was  given  com- 
mandments, and  also  the  power  ".  .  . 
by  the  means  which  were  before  pre- 
pared, to  translate  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon." (V.  8.)  Then  of  that  book  he 
says:  It  ".  .  .  contains  a  record  of  a 
fallen  people,  and  the  fulness  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  Gentiles 
and  to  the  Jews  also; 

"Which  was  given  by  inspiration 
[meaning  that  the  original  prophets 
who  wrote  it  were  inspired  of  God], 
and  is  confirmed  to  others  by  the 
ministering  of  angels  [meaning  that 
angelic  ministers  delivered  it  to  men 


First  Day 

on  earth  in  this  day],  and  is  declared 
unto  the  world  by  them — "  (Vs.  9-10.) 

And  now  these  words  that  follow  are 
the  key:  "Proving  to  the  world  that  the 
holy  scriptures  are  true,  and  that  God 
does  inspire  men  and  call  them  to 
his  holy  work  in  this  age  and  genera- 
tion, as  well  as  in  generations  of  old; 

"Thereby  showing  that  he  is  the 
same  God  yesterday,  today,  and  for- 
ever." (Vs.  11-12.) 

His  Servants  Testify 

Now,  in  every  age  of  the  earth's 
history,  when  the  Lord  has  had  a  mes- 
sage for  people,  he  has  sent  his  ser- 
vants to  testify  and  bear  witness  of  it. 
They  have  spoken  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  have  certified  of  the 
truth  of  the  revelation.  We  do  this 
today,  most  solemnly  and  soberly,  as 
it  has  been  done  in  this  conference; 
and  I  add  my  personal  witness  that  I 
know  by  the  revelations  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  my  soul  that  this  work  is 
true.  But  for  our  day  and  our  genera- 
tion, an  era  in  which  the  Lord  is 
cutting  short  his  work  in  righteousness, 
in  which  he  is  hastening  it  in  its 
time  and  in  its  season,  he  has  given 
something  additional.  He  has  placed  in 
our  hands  a  volume  of  scripture  which 
is  both  ancient  and  modern  and  has 
provided  that  it  will  be  the  sure  proof, 
the  conclusive  evidence,  the  added 
witness  of  the  divinity  of  the  work. 

Moroni's  Promise 

As  all  who  are  acquainted  with  this 
matter  know,  if  any  person  will  read 
this  book  in  accordance  with  Moroni's 
promise,  having  faith  in  God,  and  ask 
the  Father  in  the  name  of  Christ  if  it 
is  true,  that  person  will  learn  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  that  it  is. 
(See  Moroni  10:3-5.)  The  still  small 
voice  will  whisper  to  the  spirit  that  is 
within  him,  telling  him  in  a  way  that 
he  cannot  deny  or  misunderstand  that 
no  man  could  have  written  that  book, 
that  it  is  the  mind  and  word  and  will 
of  God. 

Now,  if  this  book  is  what  we  say  it 
is,  Joseph  Smith  was  a  Prophet  of 
God;  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God, 
the  one  by  whom  salvation  comes;  and 
this  Church  and  kingdom  was  set  up, 


ELDER  A.  THEODORE  TUTTLE 


29 


ordained,  and  established  by  the  open- 
ing of  the  heavens,  by  the  principle  of 
revelation.  The  Book  of  Mormon  has 
been  given  to  the  world  to  prove  the 
divinity  of  the  work,  and  our  challenge 
is  that  men  of  goodwill,  upright  and 
good  people  everywhere,  will  take  this 
book  and  learn  what  is  in  it  and  then 
ask  God  whether  it  is  true. 

Joseph  Smith  said:  "I  told  the  breth- 
ren that  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  the 
most  correct  of  any  book  on  earth,  and 
the  keystone  of  our  religion,  and  a  man 
would  get  nearer  to  God  by  abiding  by 
its  precepts,  than  by  any  other  book." 
(DHC,  4,  461.) 

The  Keystone  of  Our  Religion 

Well,  as  the  keystone  of  our  religion, 
it  is  the  thing  upon  which  we  stand  or 
fall.  If  it  is  true,  this  whole  system  of 
religion  is  true  because  God's  hand 
is  in  it;  if  it  is  not  true,  then  our 
system  of  religion  is  false.  But  thanks 
be  to  God,  this  book  is  true!  And 
thanks  be  to  him  also,  he  is  willing, 
desirous,  anxious,  by  the  power  of  his 
Spirit,  to  bear  record  of  that  fact  to 


all  honest  truth  seekers  in  the  world, 
in  which  event  they  then  know  of  the 
divinity  of  the  work;  and  if  they  are 
willing  to  abide  and  walk  in  the  light, 
having  the  courage  of  their  convictions, 
they  come  and  join  with  the  Saints  of 
God  and  get  on  the  path  leading  to 
eternal  life. 

May  I  quote  the  words  that  God 
himself  said  in  bearing  record  of  the 
divinity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and 
make  them  my  testimony  also?  He  said 
of  Joseph  Smith,  ". . .  he  has  translated 
the  book,  even  that  part  which  I  have 
commanded  him,  and  as  your  Lord  and 
your  God  liveth  it  is  true."  (D&C 
17:6.) 

In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 
President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  A.  Theodore  Tuttle  will  be 
followed  by  Elder  Paul  H.  Dunn  of 
the  First  Council  of  Seventy,  who  in 
turn  will  be  followed  by  President 
Mark  E.  Petersen  of  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve  and  President  of  the  West 
European  Mission.  He  will  be  our  con- 
cluding speaker. 


ELDER  A.  THEODORE  TUTTLE 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


My  dear  brothers  and  sisters: 

Within  the  month  Sister  Tuttle  and 
I  stood  in  the  mountain  fastness  of  the 
Andean  highlands.  We  were  visiting 
among  the  Indian  people,  where  re- 
cently we  have  established  the  Church. 

The  Church  of  Christ  in  the  Andes 

They  live  today  much  as  they  lived 
in  centuries  past — in  the  age  of  the 
hand  scythe  and  the  crooked  stick  for 
a  plow.  Acres  of  ground  are  still  culti- 
vated by  a  farmer  using  his  foot  plow 
with  two  handles,  designed  in  the  days 
of  the  Incas. 

High  in  the  Andes  the  Indians  culti- 
vate small  farms  which,  like  a  patch- 
work quilt,  cover  the  mountains  from 
the  crest  to  the  river.  Adobe  mud  huts, 
with  their  thatched  roofs  showing 
shaggy-like,  dot  the  landscape.  Judged 
by  our  luxurious  standards,  their  huts 


are  pitiful  indeed.  For  hundreds  of 
thousands  existence  is  bare. 

In  many  places  in  the  Cordillera 
[Andean  mountain  range]  they  thresh 
as  in  the  days  of  the  Savior.  Oxen  tread 
the  grain,  and  it  is  winnowed  in  the 
wind.  Burdens  are  carried  on  colorful 
llamas  or  burros  or,  more  likely,  the 
human  back. 

The  women's  blouses  of  bright  hues 
are  softened  by  the  earth  tones  of  their 
homespun  skirts.  Long  black  braids, 
often  interwoven  with  bright  strips  of 
cloth,  are  topped  by  a  white  straw  hat 
or  a  colored  felt  derby,  denoting  their 
clan  or  city.  In  addition  to  their  manta, 
or  shawl,  they  always  carry  a  baby 
wrapped  in  a  blanket  deftly  tied  across 
their  shoulders,  with  often  another 
child  or  two  trotting  at  their  side. 

Men  and  boys  wear  knee-length 
trousers  and  plain  short  jackets  of 
homespun,  with  undershirts  of  once 


30  GENERAL  C 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

bright  colors.  Knit  caps  with  ear  flaps 
and  the  necessary  poncho  complete 
their  attire.  If  sandals  are  worn,  they 
are  cut  from  old  tire  treads.  More  often 
than  not  the  men  go  barefoot. 

Their  hillside  plots  produce  crops 
of  corn,  small  potatoes,  grains,  and 
vegetables.  Everybody  works.  Old 
women  tend  the  babies,  spin  and  knit, 
cook  the  meager  meals.  Small  children 
scantily  dressed  in  oft  mended  cloth- 
ing carry  water  and  help  gather  herbs 
for  food.  Always  there  is  the  tending 
of  flocks  of  llamas  which  graze  with 
the  sheep  on  the  rocky  hillsides  or 
eat  tethered  in  the  fields.  An  occasional 
team  of  oxen  and  the  ever  present  burro 
completes  the  landscape  scene  in  the 
high  Sierras.  There  is  evidence  of 
poverty  everywhere. 

But  it  was  not  always  so. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  from  the 
Ancestors  of  These  Indians 

The  Book  of  Mormon  is  the  word  of 
God  and  is  a  record  of  his  ministry 
among  the  ancestors  of  these  Indians. 
Columbus  named  them  Indians.  He 
thought  he  had  discovered  the  Indies. 
In  reality  they  are  Lamanites.  They 
are  descendants  of  Joseph  who  was 
sold  into  Egypt.  The  account  of  their 
religious  experiences  was  written  in 
hieroglyphics  upon  plates  and  handed 
down  from  one  generation  to  another, 
overspreading  a  2,600  year  period. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  recounts  the 
departure  of  these  Israelites  from  their 
homeland.  It  says  they  built  ships; 
crossed  the  ocean;  erected  cities;  con- 
structed highways;  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising, industry,  and  shipping.  It 
tells  of  their  growth  from  a  few  fami- 
lies to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people. 

It  describes  their  destructive  wars 
and  warns  of  the  decline  of  this  once 
enlightened  people.  But  their  prophets 
foresaw  a  restoration  of  their  former 
blessings  after  the  restored  gospel  is 
taught  to  them. 

Christ  Visited  the  People  of  the 
American  Continent 

Most  important,  however,  this  an- 
cient scripture  declares  unequivocally 
that  the  Risen  Christ  walked  and 
talked  with  the  people  on  this  the 


First  Day 

American  continent.  This  religious  rec- 
ord relates  the  calling  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles  and  the  establishment  of  his 
Church  on  this  hemisphere.  The  Book 
of  Mormon  sets  forth  in  clarity  and 
plainness  the  teachings  of  the  Resur- 
rected Lord  as  he  sojourned  with  these 
people  for  a  brief  season.  It  has  rightly 
been  called  the  Bible  of  the  Western 
Hemisphere. 

Today  Indian  legends  still  contain 
fragmentary  accounts  of  a  great  Per- 
sonage who  long  ago  visited  among 
them.  Known  among  different  tribes 
by  a  variety  of  names,  he  is  neverthe- 
less always  described  in  similar  terms. 

Today  these  people,  whose  ancestors 
saw  the  Risen  Christ,  number  in  the 
millions.  They  range  from  Canada  to 
la  Tierra  del  Fuego.  In  North  America 
many  dwell  on  reservations.  Thousands 
are  scattered  throughout  Mexico  and 
Central  America.  In  South  America 
they  live  in  the  jungle  and  on  the  tops 
of  the  Andes.  The  blood  of  this  chosen 
people  flows  in  the  veins  of  many  of 
those  who  live  south  of  the  Rio  Grande. 

An  Awakening  from  Subjugation 

There  is  a  gradual  awakening  of  re- 
sponsibility to  the  Lamanites.  Their 
governments  have  helped.  Roads  are 
being  opened  to  their  formerly  inacces- 
sible retreats.  Land  reforms  are  becom- 
ing effective.  Rudimentary  education  is 
filtering  down  to  them. 

Private  foundations  such  as  the  Ford 
and  Rockefeller  foundations,  the  Peace 
Corps,  and  some  universities  are  work- 
ing among  them. 

Unfortunately  their  religion,  the  in- 
fluence that  should  have  been  the 
greatest,  rather  than  redeeming,  has 
subjugated  them. 

Our  efforts  among  these  Lamanite 
people  in  South  America  are  just  be- 
ginning, but  hold  great  promise.  They 
are  ready  to  accept  the  restored  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ.  They  are  disenchanted 
with  their  present  subjugated  condi- 
tions. They  are  eager  and  capable  of 
providing  their  own  leadership.  They 
love  to  learn,  to  act,  to  speak,  to  teach, 
and  to  sing.  They  have  an  insatiable 
thirst  for  knowledge.  But  they  have  no 
books,  no  equipment,  no  notebooks,  no 
classrooms,  no  teachers. 


ELDER  PAUL 

The  Gospel  and  the  Priesthood  Will 
Liberate 

From  our  past  short  experience  we 
know  that  we  can  provide  much  that 
they  need.  We  have  the  plan  and 
organization  to  meet  their  needs. 

Through  the  priesthood  quorums  the 
brethren  have  and  can  sponsor  projects 
which  demonstrate  the  practical  appli- 
cation of  theology  to  daily  life — some- 
thing these  people  have  never  seen. 
Simple  projects  like  making  windows 
in  houses  to  let  in  not  only  physical 
but  spiritual  light,  hanging  doors, 
planting  flowers,  and  erecting  centers 
for  education — this  is  religion  in  action. 

The  women's  Relief  Society  organiza- 
tion provides  opportunity  for  girls  and 
mothers  to  learn  home  management, 
baby  care,  cleanliness.  It  opens  up 
vistas  of  service  heretofore  unknown. 
The  Relief  Society  motto,  "Charity 
never  f  aileth,"  gives  ample  opportunity 
for  these  women  to  participate  in  mu- 
tually beneficial  activities. 

The  Primary  Association  imparts  to 
the  children  the  one  lifesaving  bit  of 
knowledge  which  lifts  their  lives  and 
goals  from  the  animal  level  to  a  spiri- 
tual plane.  In  these  Andean  communi- 
ties, youngsters  eagerly  attend  the 
classes  taught  by  missionaries  where 
they  learn,  "I  Am  a  Child  of  God." 

The  Mutual  Improvement  Associa- 
tions afford  opportunities  unbounded 
to  the  scores  of  idle  youth  who  roam 
the  streets.  These  young  people  want  to 
participate  in  drama,  music,  dancing, 
worthwhile  classes,  and  various  sports 
activities.  They  thrill  to  the  leadership 
possibilities  which  activity  in  the  MIA 
provides. 


H.  DUNN  31 

The  Sunday  School  gives  all  a 
chance  to  learn  and  grow.  All  have 
opportunity  to  give  talks,  practise  rever- 
ence, and  expand  the  depth  and  ex- 
tent of  gospel  learning. 

Others  could,  if  they  would,  supply 
the  serums,  and  the  seeds,  and  the 
tools.  They  could  provide  the  educa- 
tional opportunities  and  other  things 
that  our  Lamanite  brethren  so  urgently 
need.  But  they  cannot  supply  the  mes- 
sage of  truth  that  we  bear,  for  we 
declare  with  authority  from  God  that 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  has  been  re- 
stored to  the  earth;  we  declare  that  the 
heavens  are  again  open,  that  a  prophet 
lives  today  and  directs  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ.  We  declare  that  the  Book 
of  Mormon  identifies  these  millions  of 
people  who  for  so  long  have  been 
anonymous — making  known  that  they 
are  a  chosen  people,  eligible  for  the 
promised  blessings  of  their  Father. 

Their  governments  have  recently  ac- 
corded them  citizenship  in  their 
lands,  but  our  message  makes  them  "no 
more  strangers  and  foreigners,  but 
fellowcitizens"  (Eph.  2:19)  in  the 
Church  and  kingdom  of  God. 

The  day  of  the  Lamanite  is  at  hand. 
I  bear  witness  that  this  is  the  work  of 
the  Lord,  that  we  are  in  his  Church. 
I  bear  solemn  witness  that  God  lives, 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  that  President 
David  O.  McKay  is  a  prophet  and  the 
mouthpiece  of  the  Lord  to  the  Church 
and  in  the  world,  and  that  the  Book  of 
Mormon  is  true.  May  the  Lord  help  all 
of  us  to  aid  our  brethren,  the  Laman- 
ites,  in  their  striving  to  reach  their 
destiny,  I  humbly  pray  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


ELDER  PAUL  H.  DUNN 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


My  brethren  and  sisters  and  friends,  to 
answer  a  number  of  questions  that 
have  been  put  to  me  lately  after  one 
year  and  numerous  experiences,  this  is 
still  the  challenge  that  it  ever  was.  I 
stand  before  you  most  humble  and 
dedicated  in  an  attempt  to  convey  to 
you  the  feelings  of  my  heart  on  this 


special  day.  I,  too,  seek  an  interest  in 
your  faith  and  prayers. 

I  am  wondering  if  you  good  sisters 
here  in  this  building  and  listening  in 
would  pardon  me  if  I  visited  with 
your  husbands  and  the  dads  for  just 
a  few  moments. 


32 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Sunday.  April  4,  1965 

Father  Substitutes  for  Mother 

Every  once  in  a  while  there  comes 
into  the  life  of  each  father  and  husband 
a  tremendous  challenge,  and  some 
weeks  ago  it  was  one  of  these  chal- 
lenges that  brought  me  to  a  greater 
realization  of  my  responsibility  as  both 
father  and  husband.  I  am  sure  my  ex- 
perience is  not  unlike  some  that  many 
of  you  here  today  have  had. 

It  all  happened  this  way.  My  wife  one 
day,  in  her  interest  to  go  shopping  with 
one  of  her  close  friends  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, asked  if  I  would  be  kind 
enough  to  attend  to  the  household 
chores  for  about  four  hours  during  her 
absence,  besides  tending  our  smallest 
daughter.  I  assured  her  I  was  most 
anxious  to  do  what  I  could  as  a  priest- 
hood bearer  and  as  a  loving  father  and 
husband.  And  I  will  have  to  confess 
there  was  a  selfish  interest  at  heart, 
thinking  as  I  did  that  perhaps  here  was 
an  opportunity  to  catch  up  on  some 
of  my  own  projects. 

Well,  now,  I  want  to  tell  you,  that 
was  a  day  I  shall  never  forget.  Let  me 
just  give  you  an  accounting  of  my  ac- 
complishments on  that  afternoon: 

I  answered  the  telephone  15  times. 
Thirteen  of  those  calls  were  for  our 
teenage  daughters. 

I  shouted,  "Don't  Kellie,"  (that's 
our  five-year-old)  43  times. 

I  spread  bread  with  jelly  19  times. 
Some  of  my  youngest  daughter's  little 
friends  were  visiting  with  her  at  the 
time. 

I  stopped  9  different  quarrels. 
I  wiped  noses  12  times. 
I  tied  shoes  8. 

I  shut  and  opened  doors  53  times. 

I  bandaged  6  different  fingers. 

I  answered  117  questions. 

And  as  well  as  I  can  figure  at  this 
point,  I  ran  approximately  2y2  miles 
without  ever  going  out-of-doors. 

Now,  brethren,  I  ask  you,  how  long 
has  it  been  since  you  stood  in  the 
place  of  your  good  wife?  For  example, 
two  or  three  days  following  this  little 
episode,  I  took  this  same  group  of  wild 
Indians  to  the  grocery  store  and  at- 
tempted, as  all  mothers  and  house- 
wives do,  to  fill  the  grocery  basket. 


First  Day 

There  was  another  challenge,  to  keep 
one  youngster  from  digging  into  the 
cookie  box,  while  another  picked  up, 
dropped,  and  broke  a  jar  of  pickles,  and 
the  third  in  the  meantime  became 
lost  and,  in  her  anxiety  to  find  her 
father,  shouted  so  that  all  the  neigh- 
borhood could  hear,  "Daddy,  where  are 
you?" 

Brethren,  fathers,  priesthood  bearers, 
I  tell  you  that  I  sincerely  believe  that 
my  day  is  as  long  and  nerve-racking  as 
any  represented  here.  But  I  wouldn't 
trade  my  job,  and  I  don't  believe  most 
of  you  would,  involved  as  it  might 
be,  for  that  of  a  good  wife  who  manages 
the  home,  supervises  a  family  of  chil- 
dren twelve  hours  a  day  and  more  at 
times,  not  to  speak  of  a  few  other 
little  responsibilities  that  engage  her 
time  from  morning  until  night. 

I  wish  today,  brethren,  that  my 
wife's  husband  could  remember  every 
evening  when  he  comes  home  that,  no 
matter  how  tired  he  is  or  how  hard  he 
has  worked,  she  has  labored  just  as 
hard.  And  no  matter  how  disappointed 
he  may  be  with  the  things  that  have 
gone  on  during  the  day,  she  has  an 
equal  reason  to  be  tired  and  discour- 
aged with  the  load  of  her  multitudi- 
nous and  hectic  responsibilities. 

If  my  wife's  husband  could  always 
realize  this,  I  believe  he  would  try 
even  harder  than  he  does  to  forget  his 
own  troubles  and  would  try  to  bring 
into  his  home  a  spirit  of  love,  fun, 
optimism,  and  assurance  that  would 
make  every  member  of  his  family  glad 
to  be  alive. 

There  are  a  number  of  other  things 
that  I  wish  my  wife's  husband  would 
do  as  he  views  this  lovely  creature  that 
he  has  taken  unto  himself  as  a  bride 
for  time  and  all  eternity — that  he 
would  continue  to  court  her  and  respect 
her  as  he  has  promised  to  do  because 
of  his  genuine  love  and  appreciation 
for  her. 

I  wish  my  wife's  husband  would  also 
remember  at  all  times  the  responsi- 
bility he  has  to  direct  the  affairs  of  his 
family,  to  be  the  loving  father  and  the 
companion  for  his  daughters  that  he 
basically  wants  to  be  but  sometimes 
forgets  to  be  because  of  busy  schedules. 


ELDER  PAL 

Importance  of  Role  of  Father,  Mother 

I  have  been  so  impressed  today  with 
the  thoughts  and  the  feelings  of  our 
Prophet,  Brother  Lee,  President  Tanner, 
and  others  who  have  spoken  to  us  con- 
cerning the  home  and  its  importance 
and  the  role  of  mother  and  father  in 
this  connection.  As  they  talked  to  us 
about  these  basic  issues  which  should 
concern  all  intelligent  thinking  Ameri- 
cans, I  was  reminded  of  one  of  the 
finer  studies  that  was  made  some  years 
ago  by  Dr.  Sheldon  and  Eleanor 
Glueck,  a  husband  and  wife  sociology 
team  at  Harvard  University.  After 
much  research  and  investigation  of 
many  cultures,  they  developed  a  scale 
which  could  predict  delinquency,  and 
they  concluded  that  there  were  five 
basic  ingredients  that  assured  success- 
ful living  and  happy  homes.  Their 
discovery  shouldn't  surprise  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  because  prophets  of  old,  as 
well  as  today,  have  related  these  to  us. 

Successful  Families  Require  Affection 

Briefly  stated,  they  suggested  that  if 
you  want  to  have  successful  family 
relationships  in  your  home,  the  mother 
must  show  affection  for  her  children. 
Now  much  has  been  said  from  this 
pulpit  on  many  occasions  concerning 
the  role  of  the  mother  in  the  home, 
and  I  would  be  the  first  to  wholeheart- 
edly endorse  all  these  words  as  to  the 
influence  of  what  that  mother  can  be 
and  the  need  for  her  to  be  constantly 
available  to  all  young  children.  I  think 
by  nature  the  mother  more  normally 
tends  to  give  this  basic  love  because 
of  her  place  in  the  home. 

The  second  basic  ingredient  would 
be  love  shown  by  the  father.  And  some- 
times, dad,  even  though  we  have  this 
basic  interest  and  affection  for  our 
children,  we  fail  to  display  it  in  a  way 
that  is  meaningful  in  the  lives  of  these 
young  people.  I  am  sorry  to  confess 
there  have  been  times  in  my  so-called 
busy  life  when  I  have  neglected  this 
very  thing,  thinking  my  dear  wife 
would  certainly  fill  in.  I  was  brought 
up  rather  short  some  years  ago  by  one 
of  my  daughters  when  one  Sunday 
afternoon  she  took  from  my  coat  pocket 
my  appointment  book,  opened  it  up, 


.  H.  DUNN  33 

and  wrote  her  name;  and  as  she 
brought  it  to  me  she  said,  "Dad,  Fm 
wondering  if  I  can  have  an  appoint- 
ment with  you  at  two  o'clock  next 
Sunday."  I  think  you  might  appreciate 
in  some  small  measure  how  I  felt,  and 
it  was  at  that  moment  I  began  to  take 
a  serious  inventory  of  my  own  life 
and  my  responsibilities. 

The  second  daughter  on  that  same 
occasion  chimed  in,  and  she  said  in 
almost  an  echo  form,  "Dad,  why  is  it 
that  you  always  have 'time  for  other 
people's  children  and  not  for  us?" 
Well,  I  am  happy  to  announce  to  this 
marvelous  congregation  and  all  who 
would  hear  that  I  have  attempted  to 
right  my  life  as  a  father  and  as  a 
teacher  in  the  home,  and  I  am  finding 
as  I  found  some  years  ago  that  what 
our  prophets  ask  us  to  do  is  right.  I 
bear  fervent  testimony  of  what  this 
can  do  in  any  home  in  America  today. 

Supervision 

The  third  thing  in  this  formula  was 
supervision,  which  the  Gluecks  basi- 
cally assigned  to  the  mother  but  cer- 
tainly included  the  father. 

And  Discipline 

And  the  fourth:  discipline  from  the 
father,  which  does  not  exclude  the 
mother  as  a  part-time  disciplinarian. 

And  Unity 

Fifth:  the  point  of  cohesiveness,  ty- 
ing it  all  together,  which  depicts  again 
the  wisdom  that  has  come  from  on 
high  through  living  prophets  concern- 
ing the  Family  Home  Evening,  the 
opportunity  for  mothers  and  fathers  to 
sit  down  and  work  out  programs  that 
will  assist  the  youth  of  our  nation  and 
of  the  world  to  better  ways  of  life,  to  a 
higher  and  more  divine  understanding 
of  our  very  purpose  in  the  world. 

I  am  so  grateful  as  a  father  and  as  a 
husband  for  these  things  which  have 
been  revealed  to  us  in  these  latter  days. 

A  Father's  Ten  Commandments 

May  I  just  conclude  by  sharing  with 
you  from  the  pen  of  an  unknown 
author  "A  Father's  Ten  Command- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


34 

Sunday,  April  A,  1965 

merits"  which  I  think  have  modern 
day  application: 

Thou  shalt  love  thy  children  with 
all  thy  heart  and  hesitate  not  to  mani- 
fest interest  in  and  affection  for  them. 
This  is  the  first  and  great  command- 
ment. 

Second,  thou  shalt  not  make  unto 
thee  any  graven  images  of  thy  busi- 
ness, thy  career,  or  thy  sports,  or  any 
likeness  of  pleasure,  occupation,  or 
pursuit  in  the  heavens  above,  in  the 
earth  beneath,  or  in  the  waters  under 
the  earth.  Thou  shalt  not  bow  down 
thyself  unto  them,  nor  serve  them  so 
that  thou  forgettest  to  be  a  pal  and  a 
chum  to  thy  children. 

Third,  thou  shalt  not  take  the  name 
of  "Dad"  upon  thee  lightly,  for  Je- 
hovah will  not  hold  him  guiltless  who 
has  little  regard  for  the  responsibility 
of  fatherhood. 

Fourth,  remember  thy  children's  por- 
tion of  thy  time  and  keep  it  holy. 
Many  days  shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all 
manner  of  work  that  thou  mayest  pro- 
vide suitably  for  all  their  needs,  but 
in  that  portion  of  thy  day  which  be- 
longeth  to  them,  thou  shalt  not  do  any 
work,  neither  shalt  thou  bury  thy  nose 
in  a  book,  betake  thyself  to  the  golf 
links,  or  busy  thyself  otherwise  ac- 
cording to  thine  own  pleasure. 

Fifth,  honor  thy  wife,  for  thy  chil- 
dren loveth  her  dearly  and  cannot 
admire,  respect,  and  love  thee  if  thou 
display  not  loving  kindness  for  her. 

Sixth,  thou  shalt  counsel  and  advise 
with  thy  children  in  all  things  and 
share  with  them  the  secrets  of  thy 
heart. 


First  Day 

Seventh,  thou  shalt  be  firm  in  thy 
discipline  lest  thy  children  stray  from 
the  paths  of  righteousness  for  the  lack 
of  thy  guiding  hand.  But  thou  shalt 
not  even  hold  the  reins  of  thine  au- 
thority too  tight  nor  fail  to  under- 
stand that  thy  children  desireth  and 
needeth  more  and  more  of  that  inde- 
pendence of  action  which  becometh  a 
man. 

Eighth,  thou  shalt  have  trust  and 
confidence  in  thy  children  and  be 
patient  and  long-suffering  with  all 
their  shortcomings. 

Ninth,  thou  shalt  walk  uprightly  be- 
fore men  and  make  thy  ways  clean  in 
the  sight  of  thy  God,  for  thy  children 
doth  follow  after  thy  example.  More- 
over, take  heed  that  thy  children  hath 
more  discernment  than  thou  sometimes 
thinkest  and  art  more  influenced  by 
what  they  see  thou  really  art  than  by 
what  thou  pretendest  to  be. 

And  tenth,  thou  shalt  not  forget  thou 
wert  once  a  boy.  Neither  shalt  thou 
be  unmindful  that  times  have  changed 
very  much  since  the  days  of  thy  youth. 

I  am  grateful,  my  brothers  and  sisters 
and  friends,  for  knowledge  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  its  meaning 
in  our  home,  and  for  this  divine  pro- 
gram which  has  been  established  to 
influence  lives  everywhere.  May  we 
be  equal  to  the  tasks  as  dads  and 
husbands,  as  priesthood  bearers,  to 
raise  up  a  generation  that  will  bless 
this  nation  and  this  world,  I  humbly 
pray  as  I  testify  to  the  divinity  of  these 
things  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 


ELDER  MARK  E.  PETERSEN 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  rejected  by  his 
people.  Sensing  it  keenly,  he  said  one 
day: 

"O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  which  kill- 
est  the  prophets,  and  stonest  them  that 
are  sent  unto  thee;  how  often  would 
I  have  gathered  thy  children  together, 
as  a  hen  doth  gather  her  brood  under 
her  wings,  and  ye  would  not! 

"Behold  your  house  is  left  unto  you 
desolate  "  (Luke  13:34-35.) 


Tendency  of  Mankind  to  Drift 

From  the  beginning  of  time  it  has 
been  the  tendency  of  mankind  to  drift 
away  from  the  Lord  and  to  love  dark- 
ness rather  than  light. 

It  began  when  Satan  came  among 
the  children  of  Adam  and  Eve  and 
tempted  them  and  destroyed  their  faith. 
The  result  was  that  many  ".  .  .  loved 
Satan  more  than  God."  The  scripture 
explains  that  ".  . .  men  began  from  that 


ELDER  MARK 

time  forth  to  be  carnal,  sensual,  and 
devilish."  (Moses  5:13.) 

This  departure  from  the  ways  of 
the  Lord  was  an  apostasy,  and  since 
that  time  apostasy  has  existed  among 
us  almost  continuously.  While  groping 
for  the  truth,  men  have  made  their 
own  religions,  established  their  own 
moral  codes,  and  have  justified  them- 
selves in  following  them. 

It  was  so  likewise  in  the  days  of  the 
Savior.  He  fought  against  the  man- 
made  doctrines  of  his  contemporaries 
and  said  that  to  use  them  in  worship 
was  of  no  value,  for  they  could  save 
no  one.  He  vigorously  denounced  the 
sensual  living  so  characteristic  of  that 
day.  As  a  result,  murderous  schemes 
entered  the  hearts  of  his  enemies,  and 
they  sought  his  life  and  eventually 
did  crucify  him,  so  completely  did  they 
hate  the  things  of  God,  although  pro- 
fessing to  serve  him  in  their  own  self- 
invented  manner. 

It  was  not  long  before  apostasy  de- 
veloped within  the  Christian  group 
itself.  It  occurred  in  various  ways: 
partly  in  doctrine  and  ritual  and  much 
in  the  daily  habits  of  the  people. 

Characteristics  of  Apostasy 

The  Apostle  Paul  said  that  this 
apostasy  was  characterized  by  mankind 
becoming  ".  .  .  lovers  of  their  own 
selves,  covetous,  boasters,  proud,  blas- 
phemers, disobedient  to  parents,  un- 
thankful, unholy, 

"Without  natural  affection,  truce- 
breakers,  false  accusers,  incontinent, 
fierce,  despisers  of  those  that  are  good, 

"Traitors,  heady,  highminded,  lovers 
of  pleasures  more  than  lovers  of  God; 

"Having  a  form  of  godliness,  but 
denying  the  power  thereof:  .  .  ."  (2 
Tim.  3:2-5.) 

Usually  when  people  speak  of  an 
apostasy  from  the  truth  they  refer 
to  changes  in  doctrines  or  a  repudiation 
of  certain  beliefs.  There  has  been  an 
abundance  of  this.  Such  changes  have 
resulted  in  the  organization  of  hun- 
dreds of  churches  with  different  creeds, 
rituals,  and  ordinances,  many  of  them 
being  highly  contradictory. 

But  personal  sin  is  as  real  an  apos- 
tasy as  any  effort  to  change  the  law  or 
break  the  everlasting  covenant. 


.  PETERSEN  35 

Consider  Paul's  words  again:  cove- 
tous, proud,  blasphemers,  false  accusers, 
incontinent,  without  natural  affection, 
lovers  of  pleasures  more  than  lovers 
of  God. 

In  other  words,  personal  sin  is  as 
much  an  apostasy  from  Christ  as  an 
acceptance  of  false  doctrines  and  man- 
made  rituals. 

But  it  is  even  worse  when  clergy- 
men, pretending  to  represent  the  Christ, 
compound  their  apostasy  by  actually 
leading  people  into  serious  personal 
sin,  at  the  same  time  asking  them  to. 
practise  creeds  of  their  own  invention 
which  have  no  power  to  save. 

Iniquity  Challenges  Christ's  Doctrines 

The  Atlantic  edition  of  Time  maga- 
zine, March  5,  1965,  reported  in  its 
religious  section  that  "the  20th  Cen- 
tury's sexual  revolution  directly  chal- 
lenges Christianity's  basic  doctrines 
against  immorality."  The  magazine 
then  goes  on  to  say:  "Some  progressive 
church  thinkers  now  advocate  a  'new 
morality'  to  take  account  of  these  facts 
of  life.  What  they  propose  is  an  ethic 
based  on  love  rather  than  law,  in 
which  the  ultimate  criterion  for  right 
and  wrong  is  not  divine  command  but 
the  individual's  subjective  perception 
of  what  is  good  for  himself.  .  .  ." 
(P.  42.) 

The  article  referred  to  900  clergymen 
and  students  of  religion  recently 
gathered  at  Harvard  University's  Di- 
vinity School  to  ponder  this  so-called 
new  morality.  Many  among  those 
clergymen  expressed  the  thought  that 
this  new  moral  concept  which  fosters 
licentious  free  love  is  what  they  call 
a  "healthy  advance"  (p.  44)  which 
now  will  relieve  them  of  the  responsi- 
bility of  living  the  strict  moral  teach- 
ings of  Christ. 

Disaster  in  the  Wake  of  Attempt  to 
Reverse  Divine  Law 

An  Episcopal  minister,  the  Reverend 
Frederick  C.  Wood,  speaking  at  Goucher 
College,  Baltimore,  told  a  group  of 
young  students,  and  I  quote,  that  "sex 
is  fun — premarital  sex  is  beautiful — we 
all  ought  to  relax  and  stop  feeling  guilty 
about  our  sexual  activities,  thoughts 


36  GENERAL  C 

Sunday,  April  4,  1965 

and  desires."  He  was  thus  quoted  by 
the  Associated  Press  and  newspapers 
which  I  myself  read.  These  newspapers 
published  his  picture  with  the  article 
on  his  attempt  to  reverse  the  divine 
law. 

There  are  moves  in  at  least  two  states 
in  America  to  ease  up  on  laws  regu- 
lating immoral  behavior.  Legislators 
are  being  asked  to  rule  that  adultery 
should  no  longer  be  considered  a  crime, 
that  homosexuals  and  other  deviates 
should  be  allowed  to  practise  their  de- 
pravities legally  and  without  restric- 
"  tion,  and  that  the  age  of  consent  for 
a  child  to  enter  public  prostitution 
should  be  lowered  to  sixteen  years. 

This  is  not  only  true  in  America. 
Similar  conditions  are  found  elsewhere, 
with  some  clergymen  and  high  govern- 
ment officials  alike  condoning  and  in 
some  cases  encouraging  licentious 
practices. 

This  is  one  of  the  great  evidences  of 
the  apostasy  of  mankind  from  the 
teachings  of  Christ. 

To  reject  or  try  to  change  the  moral 
law  of  God  is  to  reject  God.  To  leave 
the  path  of  virtue  as  set  forth  by  Christ 
is  an  apostasy  from  Christ.  If  any  seg- 
ment of  Christianity  attempts  to 
change  the  moral  law  of  God,  it  will 
attack  one  of  the  most  basic  precepts 
of  heaven  and  will  thereby  place  itself 
in  the  role  of  anti-Christ. 

I  ask  you:  Is  God,  who  the  scriptures 
say  is  the  same  yesterday,  today,  and 
forever  (see  Heb.  13:8),  now  changing 
his  mind?  Does  Jesus  no  longer  be- 
lieve what  he  taught  when  he  was  on 
earth?  He  said  that  anyone  who  looks 
upon  a  woman  with  lust  in  mind  com- 
mits adultery  in  his  heart.  Note  that 
he  says  that  if  we  merely  look  upon 
another  with  lust,  it  is  immoral. 

Then  what  does  he  say  about  the 
completion  of  that  act? 

Does  he  call  it  beautiful  as  does  this 
so-called  Reverend  Mr.  Wood?  Is  the 
Savior  now  to  retreat  before  the  clerics 
who  advocate  free  love? 

Is  he  to  admit  that  he  was  mistaken 
nineteen  centuries  ago  and  say  that  he 
was  not  as  well  informed  as  these 
modern  clergymen?  Will  he  now  with- 
draw from  his  position  and  say  that  he 


First  Day 

was  too  strict  for  human  nature  and 
that  he  was  not  realistic? 

Has  Christ  changed  his  mind? 

Is  he  less  understanding  than  the 
Reverend  Mr.  Wood  in  Baltimore? 

Does  he  know  less  than  Mr.  Wood 
about  the  urges,  the  drives,  and  the 
temptations  of  adolescent  youth? 

If  Christ  has  not  changed  his  mind, 
can  the  modern  clerics  change  it  for 
him? 

Will  he  approve  a  reversal  of  his 
teachings? 

Will  he  acknowledge  the  men  who 
try  to  make  the  change?  Will  he  rec- 
ognize them  as  his  ordained  servants? 
Will  he  accept  the  churches  which 
they  represent?  Will  he  call  them 
his  own? 

Will  he  say  that  the  primrose  path 
is  now  the  road  to  heaven  or  that  it 
has  become  a  modern  version  of  the 
straight  and  narrow  way? 

Will  he  sanction  the  teaching  of  im- 
morality to  young  boys  and  girls  by 
men  who  claim  to  act  in  his  holy 
name? 

For  any  man  to  attempt  to  change 
the  moral  law  is  like  trying  to  change 
the  Deity  himself. 

It  is  to  ask  the  Almighty  to  condone 
the  petting,  the  necking,  the  wicked 
intimacies  and  perversions  which  go  on 
in  the  back  seats  of  automobiles,  in 
motel  and  hotel  rooms,  and  on  park 
lawns  and  beaches. 

It  is  asking  him  to  sanction  the 
illegal  and  murderous  abortions  which 
frequently  follow. 

It  is  inviting  him  to  smile  indul- 
gently and  sweetly  on  misguided  young 
people  as  they  sow  the  seeds  of  death 
and  hell. 

Easy  morality  is  no  morality  at  all. 
And  certainly  where  there  is  no  mo- 
rality, there  is  no  true  Christianity 
either. 

No  one  can  make  free  love  a  doctrine 
and  practice  of  the  true  Church  of  God, 
despite  all  that  may  be  said  by  the 
900  clergymen  at  Harvard  Divinity 
School  or  by  any  other  group  of  minis- 
ters or  priests  speaking  before  schools 
and  youth  groups. 

I  remind  these  reverend  gentlemen 
of  what  their  own  Bibles  say.  Or  do 
they  no  longer  believe  the  scriptures? 


ELDER  MARK 

And  if  not,  can  they  truthfully  claim 
to  be  Christians — or  ministers  of  a 
Christian  God? 

Apostasy  through  Immorality — 
Paganism 

Apostasy  through  immorality  is  at 
least  as  bad  as  returning  to  paganism. 

God  still  says:  "Thou  shalt  not  com- 
mit adultery;  .  .  ."  (Exod.  20:14.) 

Christ  still  says:  ".  .  .  whosoever 
looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her 
hath  committed  adultery  with  her  al- 
ready in  his  heart."  (Matt.  5:28.) 

And  Paul  still  says  of  those  who 
deviate  from  the  path  of  virtue  into 
some  of  the  great  perversions,  ".  .  .  they 
which  commit  such  things  are  worthy 
of  death.  .  .  ."  (Rom.  1:26-32.) 

Let  our  so-called  progressive  Chris- 
tians beware,  lest  like  the  ancient 
scribes  and  Pharisees  they  find  that 
their  house,  too,  has  become  desolate. 

In  this  modern  day  God  has  restored 
his  pure  gospel  and  his  divine  Church. 
Again  he  teaches  the  truth  about  him- 
self and  the  way  to  come  back  into  his 
presence. 

Part  of  that  restoration  is  a  restate- 
ment of  the  moral  law. 

Again  comes  his  precept  command- 
ing: ".  .  .  be  ye  clean,  that  bear  the 
vessels  of  the  Lord."  (Isa.  52:11.) 

Again  he  appeals  for  virtue — com- 
plete, chaste,  unblemished  purity — on 
the  part  of  his  followers,  for  no  un- 
clean thing  can  come  into  his  presence. 

By  modern  revelation  he  tells  us  that 
sex  sin  is  next  to  murder  in  the  divine 
category  of  crime.  (See  Alma  39:5.) 

Virtue,  Fruit  of  the  Restored  Gospel 

Virtue  is  as  much  a  part  of  the  re- 
stored gospel  as  baptism  and  the  resur- 
rection. 

Chastity  is  as  vital  to  us  as  the  law 
and  the  prophets. 

The  work  of  God  cannot  abide  in 
the  midst  of  iniquity.  His  people  must 
not  partake  of  the  sins  of  Babylon  or 
they  will  cease  to  be  his  people.  Al- 
though we  are  in  the  world  we  cannot 
indulge  in  its  corruption. 

We  Latter-day  Saints  have  a  great 
modern  message.  We  announce  that 
God  has  appeared  in  our  day.  He  has 


E.  PETERSEN  37 

raised  up  modern  prophets  who  speak 
for  him,  even  as  did  Moses. 

He  has  established  his  Church  again 
in  this  generation. 

A  People  of  Virtue  and  Purity 

He  is  rearing  a  new  and  modern 
people,  a  priestly  nation,  a  people  of 
virtue  and  purity. 

We  have  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
youth  in  this  heaven-blessed  Church, 
and  they  must  be  taught  the  restored 
truth.  But  they  must  know  that  this 
truth  includes  virtue  as  well  as  worship 
and  that  there  can  be  no  true  wor- 
ship without  chastity. 

With  all  my  soul  I  appeal  to  the 
youth  of  Zion: 

Believe  with  all  your  heart  in  the 
restored  gospel  as  given  us  through  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  Believe  that 
this  restored  gospel  is  the  way  of  truth 
and  Joy.  Know  that  wickedness  never 
was  happiness,  but  that  obedience  and 
chastity  lead  to  the  abundant  life. 

Know  that  virtue  is  a  vital  part  of 
the  restored  gospel  and  can  never  be 
separated  from  it. 

Know  and  understand  that  no  man 
or  set  of  men,  whether  clergymen,  edu- 
cators, or  government  officials,  can 
change  divine  law.  They  are  neither 
greater  nor  more  intelligent  than  the 
Almighty. 

The  Lord  asks  you  to  be  as  clean  as 
he  is,  so  that  you  may  be  fit  to  enter 
into  his  presence  and  become  like  him, 
for  that  is  your  destiny.  May  you  live 
for  it  and  thus  obtain  this  great  bless- 
ing, I  earnestly  pray  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Mark  E.  Petersen  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  the  Twelve  and  president  of  the 
West  European  Mission  has  just  spoken 
to  us.  He  was  preceded  by  Elder  Dunn, 
Elder  Tuttle,  and  Elder  McConkie  of 
the  First  Council  of  Seventy. 

I  am  pleased  to  announce  that  we 
have  received  quite  a  number  of  tele- 
grams and  cablegrams  telling  of  the 
reception  in  various  countries  of  the 
proceedings  of  this  morning's  confer- 
ence. I  mention  especially  the  Uru- 
guayan Mission,  Albuquerque,  New 


38  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

Mexico,  Alaskan-Canadian  Mission  at 
Vancouver,  Canadian  Mission  in  Tor- 
onto, and  the  Austrian  Mission,  with  a 
message  from  the  Czechoslovakian 
saints. 

I  am  requested  to  announce  that 
there  will  be  a  Welfare  meeting  in  the 
morning  in  the  Assembly  Hall  at  7:30. 
Tonight  the  Deseret  Sunday  School 
Union  conference  will  convene  in  this 
building  at  7  o'clock.  The  public  is 
invited.  It  is  understood  that  ward 
Sacrament  meetings  will  be  held  where 
practicable  this  evening  in  various 
wards. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  will  now  fa- 
vor us  with  "All  Hail  the  Power  of 


Second  Day 

Jesus'  Name,"  conducted  by  Brother 
Condie,  and  after  the  benediction  by 
Elder  J.  Byron  Ravsten,  formerly  presi- 
dent of  the  Southern  States  Mission, 
the  general  sessions  of  this  conference 
will  be  adjourned  until  10  o'clock  to- 
morrow morning. 


The  Choir  sang,  "All  Hail  the  Power 
of  Jesus'  Name,"  following  which  the 
closing  prayer  was  offered  by  Elder  J. 
Byron  Ravsten,  formerly  President  of 
the  Southern  States  Mission. 

Conference  adjourned  until  10:00 
a.  m.,  Monday,  April  5,  1965. 


SECOND  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 


Monday,  April  5th. 

The  third  session  of  the  Conference 
convened  promptly  at  10:00  a.  m. 
President  David  O.  McKay  was  present 
and  presided;  President  Nathan  Eldon 
Tanner,  Second  Counselor  in  the  First 
Presidency,  conducted  the  services. 

The  music  for  this  session  of  the 
Conference  was  furnished  by  the  Brig- 
ham  Young  University  Combined 
Choruses,  with  Maughan  McMurdie, 
Conductor.  Frank  W.  Asper  was  at  the 
organ  console. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

Under  the  direction  of  our  beloved 
President  and  Prophet,  David  O.  Mc- 
Kay, who  is  presiding  at  all  the  sessions 
of  this  great  conference,  I  have  been 
asked  to  conduct  this  session.  For  the 
information  of  those  who  are  tuned  in 
by  radio  or  television,  we  are  pleased 
to  announce  that  we  are  assembled  in 
the  historic  Tabernacle  on  Temple 
Square  in  Salt  Lake  City  in  the  third 
session  of  the  135th  annual  conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter-day Saints.  These  services  are  being 
broadcast  in  the  Assembly  Hall  by  tele- 
vision, and  those  standing  in  the  door- 
ways may  possibly  find  seats  in  this 
building. 


We  have  here  some  telegrams  and 
cablegrams  which  I  will  not  read  but 
I  would  like  to  say  that  we  have  one 
from  New  Zealand  South  Missionaries, 
one  from  Johannesburg,  from  Wash- 
ington, from  Michigan,  from  Hong 
Kong,  all  here  this  morning,  all  wish- 
ing us  well,  saying  that  they  are  re- 
ceiving the  conference. 

This  session  of  the  conference  will 
be  broadcast  as  a  public  service  over 
television  and  radio  stations  through- 
out the  world.  The  names  of  the  sta- 
tions were  announced  prior  to  the 
beginning  of  this  meeting,  and  we 
again  express  our  appreciation  to  the 
owners  and  managers  of  these  stations 
for  the  service  that  they  are  rendering. 
Both  of  the  sessions  today  will  be  re- 
broadcast  over  KSL  radio  tomorrow 
morning,  Tuesday,  starting  at  1:00 
a.m.  to  5  a.m.,  and  can  be  heard  in 
many  parts  of  the  United  States,  in- 
cluding Alaska,  and  in  Canada,  Mex- 
ico, the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  and  in 
many  other  parts  of  the  world. 

We  are  pleased  to  note  the  attend- 
ance this  morning  of  special  guests, 
prominent  state  and  city  officials,  and 
leaders  in  the  field  of  education.  We 
extend  a  cordial  invitation  and  wel- 
come to  them.  We  are  also  pleased  to 
welcome  our  stake  and  ward  officers 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 


39 


from  far  and  near,  the  temple  presi- 
dencies, general  auxiliary  officers  of  the 
Church,  and  all  who  are  gathered  in 
this  historic  building  in  this  session 
of  our  conference. 

We  also  extend  a  hearty  welcome  to 
our  vast  radio  and  television  audience. 

The  singing  for  today's  session  will 
be  furnished  by  the  Brigham  Young 
University  Combined  Choruses,  with 
Maughan  McMurdie  conducting,  and 
Frank  W.  Asper  at  the  organ.  On 
behalf  of  the  First  Presidency  and  all 


who  are  assembled,  I  extend  to  you 
students  a  hearty  welcome.  We  know 
that  you  are  well  trained  and  we  are 
very  happy  to  have  you  here,  you  who 
have  developed  your  talents  as  singers, 
and  we  pray  that  you  may  be  blessed 
in  your  presentation  today,  and  in  all 
your  righteous  endeavors. 

We  shall  begin  these  services  by  the 
chorus  singing,  "Ye  Servants  of  God," 
conducted  by  Maughan  McMurdie. 
The  invocation  will  be  offered  by 
Elder  Mark  E.  Anderson,  formerly  pres- 
ident of  the  Finnish  Mission. 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


(After  being  helped  to  the  pulpit 
by  his  counselors  President  McKay 
said:) 

I  should  just  like  to  say  there  is  too 
much  fuss  being  made,  (laughter) 

Welcome,  brethren  and  sisters,  and 
God  bless  you  and  all  those  participat- 
ing in  this  Conference!  May  we  have 
a  time  of  rejoicing. 

In  one  of  the  Scottish  books  a  story 
is  told  how  when  sincere  friends  came 
to  sympathize  with  Margaret  Howe  in 
the  loss  of  her  son,  a  Scottsman  speak- 
ing for  the  group  stood  up  and  said  to 
her,  "Margaret  Howe,  there's  just  ae 
heart  in  Drumtochty,  and  it's  sair 
(sorrow)." 

Well,  there  is  just  one  heart  in  this 
Tabernacle,  and  we  have  hundreds  of 
groups  and  millions  of  people  listening 
in,  but  there  is  just  one  heart  in  the 
Church,  and  it  is  happy  and  thankful 
for  the  blessings  of  the  Lord.  God 
bless  you! 


Singing  by  the  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity Combined  Choruses,  "Ye 
Servants  of  God." 


The  opening  prayer  was  offered  by 
Elder  Mark  E.  Andersen,  formerly 
President  of  the  Finnish  Mission. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

The  Brigham  Young  University 
Combined  Choruses  will  now  favor  us 
with  "Jehovah,  Lord  of  Heaven  and 
Earth,"  conducted  by  Maughan  Mc- 
Murdie. After  the  singing  President 
Hugh  B.  Brown  of  the  First  Presidency 
will  address  us. 


Selection  by  the  Combined  Choruses, 
"Jehovah,  Lord  of  Heaven  arid  Earth." 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown,  First 
Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency  of 
the  Church,  will  be  our  first  speaker 
this  morning,  and  he  will  be  followed 
by  Elder  Thomas  S.  Monson  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve. 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 

First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

This  is  at  once  an  inspiring  and  hum-  to  know  of  his  sympathy  and  blessings 

bling  experience  when  one  instinctively  and  well  wishes, 
desires  to  have  divine  guidance.  It  is       We  welcome  all,  of  course,  as  has 

most  encouraging  to  have  the  President  been  said,  who  are  attending  the  con- 

of  the  Church  sitting  on  the  stand  and  ference.  To  emphasize  what  has  been 


40  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

said  in  previous  sessions  and  for  the  in- 
formation of  our  friends  and  our 
members,  may  we  for  a  few  moments 
review  some  aspects  of  the  religion  and 
philosophy  of  this  newly  revealed  but 
ancient  Church. 

Here  is  a  religious  philosophy  of 
divine  origin  which  was  taught  by  the 
prophets  and  Apostles  of  old,  and  this 
time  was  designated  by  them  as  ".  .  . 
the  times  of  restitution  of  all  things, 
which  God  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth 
of  all  his  holy  phophets  since  the 
world  began."  (Acts  3:21.) 

Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times 

This  is  the  Dispensation  of  the  Ful- 
ness of  Times  referred  to  by  Paul  in 
Ephesians  1:10: 

"That  in  the  dispensation  of  the 
fulness  of  times  he  might  gather  to- 
gether in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both 
which  are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on 
earth;  even  in  him:" 

It  is  a  philosophy  which  if  followed 
would  provide  a  solution  to  the  prob- 
lems of  our  distraught  and  imperiled 
world. 

A  Living  Personal  God 

The  cornerstone  of  this  restored  gos- 
pel is  faith  in  a  Living  and  Personal 
God,  the  Supreme  Being.  The  head  of 
the  corner  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,  the  same  as  was  so  fearlessly  de- 
fended and  proclaimed  by  Peter 
throughout  his  ministry.  One  revealing 
passage  is  recorded  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  as  follows: 

"This  is  the  stone  which  was  set  at 
nought  of  you  builders,  which  is  be- 
come the  head  of  the  comer. 

"Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any 
other:  for  there  is  none  other  name 
under  heaven  given  among  men, 
whereby  we  must  be  saved."  (Acts 
4:11-12.) 

Man  Created  In  the  Image  of  God 

We  believe  that  man  was  created  in 
the  image  of  God  and  was  placed  upon 
the  earth  as  an  embodied  spirit  that 
he  might  have  the  experience  of  mortal 
life,  which  is  an  intermediate  state 
between  preexistence  and  immortality. 


Second  Day 

Pursuant  to  divine  plan,  there  was 
a  transgression  on  the  part  of  our  first 
parents,  and  as  a  result  they  were 
given  mortal  bodies,  and  they  and  all 
of  their  descendants  became  subject 
to  the  dissolution  of  spirit  and  body 
through  death. 

A  Redeemer 

Also  in  the  divine  plan  provision  was 
made  for  a  redeemer  to  break  the 
bands  of  death  and  through  the  resur- 
rection make  possible  the  reunion  of 
the  spirits  and  bodies  of  all  who  taber- 
nacle in  the  flesh.  Thus  provision  was 
made  for  the  redemption  from  death  of 
all  mankind  through  the  atonement  of 
Christ  and  for  their  salvation  and  ex- 
altation on  condition  of  obedience  to 
the  principles  of  the  gospel. 

The  Church  in  the  Meridian  of  Time 

He  made  provision  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  his  Church  in  the  Merid- 
ian of  Time,  and  he  instructed  his 
Apostles  to  complete  the  organization 
of  the  Church  and  to  carry  its  message 
to  all  the  world. 

But  after  his  crucifixion  and  the 
subsequent  death  of  the  Apostles,  there 
was  a  general  falling  away  from  the 
primitive  Church.  In  other  words,  a 
universal  apostasy  followed  shortly 
after  the  crucifixion,  and  through  this 
apostasy  the  priesthood  ceased  to  be 
operative,  and  as  we  read  in  Eusebius, 
".  .  .  when  the  sacred  choir  of  apostles 
became  extinct,  and  the  generation  of 
those  that  had  been  privileged  to  hear 
their  inspired  wisdom  had  passed  away, 
then  also  the  combinations  of  impious 
error  arose  by  the  fraud  and  delusions 
of  false  teachers.  These  also,  as  there 
were  none  of  the  apostles  left,  hence- 
forth attempted,  without  shame  to 
preach  their  false  doctrine  against  the 
gospel  of  truth."  Confusion  and  con- 
tention dominated  the  scene  as  men 
attempted  on  their  own  authority  to 
establish  churches. 

The  Church  Re-established 

The  announcement  of  the  reestab- 
lishment  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
by  his  own  personal  appearance  was 
followed  by  visits  from  other  heavenly 


PRESIDENT  HU 

beings  who  restored  the  priesthood  and 
authorized  and  supervised  the  reorga- 
nization of  the  Church.  Now  this  forms 
the  burden  of  our  message.  The  mission 
of  the  Church  thus  restored  is  to  preach 
the  gospel  and  administer  in  its  ordi- 
nances among  all  nations  preparatory 
to  the  second  advent  of  our  Savior. 

Mortality,  One  Stage  in  the  Eternal 
Plan 

Man's  period  of  earth  life  is  but 
one  stage  in  the  eternal  progressive 
journey  of  the  soul.  Birth  and  death  do 
not  mark  the  beginning  nor  the  end  of 
existence.  The  spirits  of  all  men  lived 
as  intelligent  beings,  enjoying  the  right 
of  choice  and  free  agency  before  they 
were  born  in  the  flesh.  Earth  life  is 
for  the  development  and  training  of 
the  sons  of  men  under  the  direction 
and  supervision  of  the  Divine  Father 
through  his  Son  Jesus  the  Christ.  Here 
we  have  an  opportunity  to  meet  oppo- 
sition, to  test  our  strength,  to  combat 
and  overcome  evil  and  thereby  prepare 
for  future  development  throughout  the 
eternities.  This  was  the  purpose  of  the 
creation  of  the  earth,  that  men  might 
talce  upon  themselves  bodies  and  be- 
come candidates  for  immortality  and 
eternal  life.  Dr.  James  E.  Talmage 
sums  up  the  discussion  of  creation  of 
the  universe  as  follows: 

"What  is  man  in  this  boundless 
setting  of  sublime  splendor?  I  answer 
you:  Potentially  now,  actually  to  be, 
he  is  greater  and  grander,  more  pre- 
cious in  the  arithmetic  of  God,  than 
all  the  planets  and  suns  of  space.  For 
him  were  they  created;  they  are  the 
handiwork  of  God;  man  is  his  son. 
In  this  world  man  is  given  dominion 
over  a  few  things.  It  is  his  privilege 
to  achieve  supremacy  over  many  things. 

"  'The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of 
God;  and  the  firmament  sheweth  his 
handywork.'  (Psalm  19:1.)  Incompre- 
hensibly grand  as  are  the  physical  crea- 
tions of  the  earth  and  space,  they  have 
been  brought  into  existence  as  a  means 
to  an  end,  necessary  to  the  realization 
of  the  supreme  purpose,  which  in  the 
words  of  the  creator  is  thus  declared: 
'For  behold,  this  is  my  work  and  my 
glory— to  bring  to  pass  the  immortality 
and  eternal  life  of  man.' "  (Moses  1:39.) 


H  B.  BROWN  41 

Pre-mortal  Existence 

All  who  accept  the  Holy  Scriptures 
as  the  word  of  God  must  believe  the 
doctrine  of  the  preexistence  Of  Christ 
and  also  of  all  the  sons  of  God.  Christ 
lived  with  the  Father  as  an  unem- 
bodied  spirit  as  is  noted  by  the  inspired 
words  of  John  the  Beloved,  who  said: 

"In  the  beginning  was  the  Word, 
and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the 
Word  was  God. 

"The  same  was  in  the  beginning 
with  God. 

"All  things  were  made  by  him;  and 
without  him  was  not  any  thing  made 
that  was  made. 

"In  him  was  life;  and  the  life  was 
the  light  of  men.  .  .  . 

"And  the  Word  was  made  flesh, 
and  dwelt  among  us,  (and  we  beheld 
his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  be- 
gotten of  the  Father,)  full  of  grace  and 
truth."  (John  1:1-4,  14.) 

He  who  was  the  Firstborn  of  the 
Father's  spirit  children  and  the  Only 
Begotten  of  the  Father  in  the  flesh 
repeatedly  referred  to  his  preexistent 
state  and  declared  that  he  came  forth 
from  the  Father  and  would  return  to 
him  on  the  completion  of  his  mission 
in  mortality.  In  John  3:13,  we  read: 

"And  no  man  hath  ascended  up  to 
heaven,  but  he  that  came  down  from 
heaven,  even  the  Son  of  man  which 
is  in  heaven." 

And  again  in  John  6:38,  the  Savior 
said: 

"For  I  came  down  from  heaven,  not 
to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of 
him  that  sent  me." 

Christ,  Redeemer  and  Savior  of 
Mankind 

Christ  was  chosen  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world  to  be  the  Redeemer 
and  Savior  of  mankind.  John  had  a 
vision  to  which  he  refers  in  Revela- 
tion. He  saw  one,  Lucifer,  known  as 
the  son  of  the  morning,  or  Satan  the 
dragon,  who  led  the  rebellion,  and 
John  declares: 

"And  there  was  war  in  heaven: 
Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against 
the  dragon;  and  the  dragon  fought  and 
his  angels,"  (Rev.  12:7.) 

Those   among    these  unembodied 


42  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

spirits  who,  as  Jude  says,  "kept . . .  their 
first  estate,"  (v.  6)  were  given  the 
opportunity  to  experience  mortal  life 
whereby  their  spirits  were  clothed  in 
bodies  of  flesh  consisting  of  earthly 
elements,  or  as  stated  in  Genesis,  made 
of  the  dust  of  the  earth.  (See  Gen. 
2:7.)  The  others  who,  with  their 
leader,  "kept  not  their  first  estate" 
(Jude  6),  became  the  devil  and  his 
angels  and  were  permanently  denied 
the  privilege  of  mortal  existence,  which 
is  prerequisite  to  exaltation  and  eternal 
life. 

Man's  remembrance  of  his  earlier 
existence  was  suspended,  and  man  and 
woman  became  earth  tenants  with 
power  and  dominion  over  all  other 
creatures  as  we  read  in  Genesis: 

"And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in 
our  image,  after  our  likeness:  and  let 
them  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of 
the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  air, 
and  over  the  cattle,  and  over  all  the 
earth,  and  over  every  creeping  thing 
that  creepeth  upon  the  earth. 

"So  God  created  man  in  his  own 
image,  in  the  image  of  God  created 
he  him;  male  and  female  created  he 
them."  (Gen.  1:26-27.) 

Man's  Freedom 

Man  enjoys  freedom  of  action  and 
agency  of  choice,  but  while  free  to  exer- 
cise this  volition,  he  must  abide  the 
consequences  of  his  decision.  Through 
trial  and  error  we,  like  the  Master, 
learn  obedience  by  the  things  which  we 
suffer.  As  Paul  said: 

"Though  he  were  a  Son,  yet  learned 
he  obedience  by  the  things  which  he 
suffered; 

"And  being  made  perfect,  he  became 
the  author  of  eternal  salvation  unto  all 
them  that  obey  him";  (Heb.  5:8-9.) 

Mortality,  Intermediate  Stage — 
Between  Eternities 

To  the  entire  human  race  mortal  life 
is  a  connecting  link  or  an  intermediate 
state,  joining  the  two  eternities  of  the 
measureless  past  and  the  eternal  future. 
All  men,  sons  and  daughters  of  divine 
parents,  are  on  this  earth  to  experience 
an  enlarged  sphere  of  interest  and 
activity  in  a  terrestrial  world  prelim- 
inary to  entrance  into  celestial  glory. 


Second  Day 

We  accept  the  scriptural  account  of 
the  creation  of  man  in  the  image  of 
God.  The  fall  of  Adam  brought  a 
heritage  of  mortality  and  death,  and 
the  atonement  of  Christ  made  possible 
man's  return  to  his  former  estate 
"added  upon."  These  two  divine  mis- 
sions were  therefore  of  universal  con- 
sequence. 

It  must  not  be  assumed,  however, 
that  the  fact  of  God's  foreknowledge 
of  what  would  be  under  given  con- 
ditions was  a  determining  cause,  or 
that  such  must  be.  He  never  has  and 
never  will  trammel  man's  free  agency, 
even  though  men  may  disobey  his 
immutable  laws  and  bring  upon  them- 
selves resultant  sorrow  and  condemna- 
tion. Though  God  is  omnipotent,  he 
permits  many  things  contrary  to  his 
will.  But  he  desires  that  every  soul 
shall  be  saved  in  his  kingdom.  In  fact, 
he  has  declared  it  to  be  his  work  and 
his  glory  ".  .  .  to  bring  to  pass  the 
immortality  and  eternal  life  of  man." 
(Moses  1:39.) 

Mortality  for  Adam's  Posterity 

We  hold,  however,  that  only  Adam 
will  be  held  accountable  for  his  dis- 
obedience, although  through  the  trans- 
gression the  penalty  is  operative  upon 
all  flesh.  Even  so,  the  atonement  of 
Christ  is  available  to  all,  or  as  Paul 
said: 

"Wherefore,  as  by  one  man  sin 
entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by 
sin;  and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men, 
for  that  all  have  sinned: 

"Therefore  as  by  the  offence  of  one 
judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  con- 
demnation; even  so  by  the  righteous- 
ness of  one  the  free  gift  came  upon  all 
men  unto  justification  of  life."  (Rom. 
5:12,  18.) 

The  Atonement  by  Jesus  Christ 

We  affirm  as  a  fundamental  prin- 
ciple the  biblical  account  of  the  atone- 
ment wrought  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  we 
accept  it  in  its  literal  simplicity.  We 
hold  further  that  he  was  the  one  and 
the  only  one  fitted  to  become  the  Savior 
and  Redeemer  of  the  world.  No  other 
man  possessed  power  to  hold  death  in 
abeyance  and  to  die  only  as  he  willed 


PRESIDENT  HI 

so  to  do.  As  it  is  declared  in  John 
5:26: 

"For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  him- 
self; so  hath  he  given  to  the  Son  to 
have  life  in  himself;" 

And  in  John  10:17-18: 

"Therefore  doth  my  Father  love  me, 
because  I  lay  down  my  life,  that  I 
might  take  it  again. 

"No  man  taketh  it  from  me,  but  I 
lay  it  down  of  myself.  I  have  power  to 
lay  it  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take 
it  again.  This  commandment  have  I 
received  of  my  Father." 

The  effeot  of  the  atonement  is  two- 
fold, viz.,  universal  redemption  of  the 
human  race  from  death  and  individual 
salvation  whereby  relief  from  the  ef- 
fects of  personal  sins  becomes  available. 

Resurrection  for  All 

All  men,  regardless  of  the  degree  of 
their  guilt  or  innocence,  will  be  resur- 
rected from  the  dead,  and  this  belief 
also  becomes  a  foundation  stone  in  the 
structure  of  the  Mormon  Church.  But, 
in  addition  to  this  general  salvation 
through  the  atonement,  every  soul  that 
lives  in  mortality  to  the  age  of  re- 
sponsibility may  place  himself  within 
the  reach  of  divine  mercy  and  may 
obtain  a  remission  of  sin. 

We  do  not  accept  the  doctrine  of 
original  sin  but  believe  that  children 
are  born  innocent,  and  if  they  die  be- 
fore they  reach  the  age  of  account- 
ability, they  are  redeemed  from  death 
through  the  atonement  of  the  Savior, 
redeemed  also  from  any  possible  effects 
of  inherited  tendency  to  sin.  They, 
therefore,  require  no  baptism  or  other 
ordinance  of  admittance  into  the  king- 
dom of  God,  for  they  are  innocent  in 
his  sight. 

Salvation  from  sin  is  obtainable, 
then,  only  through  the  acceptance  of 
the  atonement  of  Christ  and  obedience 
to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the 
gospel.  Every  man  must  bring  his 
personal  life  into  harmony  with  those 
laws.  Thus,  as  Paul  says,  Christ  ".  .  . 
became  the  author  of  eternal  salvation 
unto  all  them  that  obey  him;"  (Heb. 
5:9.) 

Considering  conditions  in  the  world 
generally,  there  never  was  a  time  more 
cut  off  from  Christ  than  ours,  or  one 
that  needed  him  more. 


3H  B.  BROWN  43 

We  reject  the  unscriptural  doctrine 
that  there  are  but  two  places  or  states 
of  eternal  existence — heaven  and  hell 
— and  that  all  men  will  go  to  the  one 
or  the  other.  According  to  the  record 
of  John,  the  Savior  said: 

"In  my  Father's  house  are  many 
mansions:  if  it  were  not  so,  I  would 
have  told  you.  I  go  to  prepare  a  place 
for  you."  (John  14:2.) 

Degrees  of  Glory 

We  affirm  on  the  basis  of  direct 
revelation  from  God  that  graded  de- 
grees of  glory  are  prepared  for  the  souls 
of  men  and  that  these  comprise  in 
decreasing  order  the  celestial,  the  ter- 
restrial, and  the  telestial  kingdoms. 
These  several  glories  are  likened  unto 
the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars  and 
were  understood  and  advocated  by 
Paul  to  the  Saints  of  Corinth  as 
follows: 

"There  are  also  celestial  bodies,  and 
bodies  terrestrial:  but  the  glory  of  the 
celestial  is  one,  and  the  glory  of  the 
terrestrial  is  another. 

"There  is  one  glory  of  the  sun,  and 
another  glory  of  the  moon,  and  another 
glory  of  the  stars:  for  one  star  differ- 
eth  from  another  star  in  glory. 

"So  also  is  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead."  (1  Cor.  15:40-42.) 

Twelve  Apostles 

The  Savior  selected  and  ordained 
twelve  men  whom  he  called  Apostles, 
and  he  commissioned  them  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  all  the  world.  In  fact, 
his  Church,  both  in  ancient  and  in 
modern  times,  is  built  upon  the  foun- 
dation of  Apostles  and  prophets.  Quot- 
ing Paul  again, 

"And  are  built  upon  the  foundation 
of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus 
Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner 
stone";  (Eph.  2:20.) 

"And  he  gave  some,  apostles;  and 
some,  prophets;  and  some,  evangelists; 
and  some,  pastors  and  teachers; 

"For  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  for 
the  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edify- 
ing of  the  body  of  Christ:"  (Ibid.,  4:11- 
12.) 

The  Apostle  aptly  compared  the 
organization  of  the  Church  to  the 


44  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

several  organs  of  the  human  body.  As 
we  read  in  1  Corinthians,  chapter  12, 

"Now  ye  are  the  body  of  Christ,  and 
members  in  particular. 

"And  God  hath  set  some  in  the 
church,  first  apostles,  secondarily  proph- 
ets, thirdly  teachers,  after  that  miracles, 
then  gifts  of  healings,  helps,  govern- 
ments, diversities  of  tongues. 

"Are  all  apostles?  are  all  prophets? 
are  all  teachers?  are  all  workers  of 
miracles? 

"Have  all  the  gifts  of  healing?  do  all 
speak  with  tongues?  do  all  interpret? 

"But  covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts: 
and  yet  shew  I  unto  you  a  more  excel- 
lent way."  (Vs.  27-31.) 

All  are  essential  to  the  whole,  and 
none  is  justified  in  saying  to  the  other, 
"...  I  have  no  need  of  thee."  (1  Cor. 
12:21.) 

Apostasy  and  Disintegration 

Shortly  after  the  crucifixion  of  the 
Christ,  the  leaven  of  apostasy  and  dis- 
integration began  to  work.  The  evi- 
dence of  spiritual  decline  was  observed 
by  the  Apostles,  and  they  predicted 
even  a  greater  falling  away,  which,  in 
fact,  progressed  through  the  early 
period  of  Christian  persecutions  from 
Nero  to  Diocletian. 

"But  there  were  false  prophets  also 
among  the  people,  even  as  there  shall 
be  false  teachers  among  you,  who 
privily  shall  bring  in  damnable  here- 
sies, even  denying  the  Lord  that 
bought  them,  and  bring  upon  them- 
selves swift  destruction. 

"And  many  shall  follow  their  per- 
nicious ways;  by  reason  of  whom  the 
way  of  truth  shall  be  evil  spoken  of. 

"And  through  covetousness  shall 
they  with  feigned  words  make  mer- 
chandise of  you:  whose  judgment  now 
of  a  long  time  lingereth  not,  and  their 


Second  Day 

damnation  slumbereth  not."  (2  Peter 
2:1-3.) 

A  widespread  apostasy  from  the 
Church  was  followed  by  an  apostasy 
of  the  Church.  This  apostasy,  which 
was  repeatedly  predicted,  is  attested 
by  history,  both  sacred  and  profane. 
This  fact  is  the  justification  for  the 
claim  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  that 
there  has  been  a  restoration  of  the 
gospel.  This  Church,  then,  is  Chris- 
tianity restored,  together  with  the 
principles  and  ordinances,  the  priest- 
hood and  authority,  as  taught  and  exer- 
cised in  the  primitive  Church.  This  is 
our  declaration,  my  brothers  and  sis- 
ters. This  is  our  warning  voice  to  all 
men,  that  the  God  of  heaven  has  set 
up  his  kingdom,  which,  as  predicted 
by  Daniel, 

".  .  .  shall  never  be  destroyed:  and 
the  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other 
people,  .  .  .  and  it  shall  stand  for 
ever."  (Dan.  2:44.) 

The  Restoration 

Now,  to  this  message  we  humbly 
testify  this  morning  to  our  members 
and  to  all  our  friends  who  are  listen- 
ing. We  ask  you  in  humility  to  hearken 
to  the  voices  of  the  prophets  of  old  and 
to  the  modern  prophets  and  to  the 
revelations  of  God  and  bring  your  lives 
into  harmony  with  his  laws  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

He  to  whom  we  have  just  listened 
is  President  Hugh  B.  Brown,  first  coun- 
selor in  the  First  Presidency  of  the 
Church. 

Elder  Thomas  S.  Monson  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  be  our  next 
speaker,  and  he  will  be  followed  by 
Bishop  John  H.  Vandenberg  of  the 
Presiding  Bishopric. 


ELDER  THOMAS  S.  MONSON 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

When  Jesus  walked  and  taught  among  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  or 

men,   he  spoke  in   language  easily  pausing  beside  Jacob's  well  in  Samaria, 

understood.  Whether  he  was  journey-  he  taught  in  parables.  Jesus  spoke 

ing  along  the  dusty  way  from  Perea  to  frequently  of  having  hearts  that  could 

Jerusalem,  addressing  the  multitude  on  know  and  feel,  ears  that  were  capable 


ELDER  THOM 

of  hearing,  and  eyes  that  could  truly 
see.  Today  as  I  gaze  into  this  vast 
throng  and  partake  of  the  spirit  of  this 
conference,  I  give  thanks  to  our 
Heavenly  Father  for  eyes  that  see,  ears 
that  hear,  and  a  heart  that  knows  and 
feels. 

"I  am  blind" 

One  not  so  blessed  with  the  gift  of 
sight  was  the  blind  man  who,  in  an 
effort  to  sustain  himself,  sat  day  in  and 
day  out  in  his  usual  place  at  the  edge 
of  a  busy  sidewalk  in  one  of  our  large 
cities.  In  one  hand  he  held  an  old 
felt  hat  filled  with  pencils.  A  tin  cup 
was  extended  by  the  other  hand.  His 
simple  appeal  to  the  passer-by  was 
brief  and  to  the  point.  It  had  a  certain 
finality  to  it,  almost  a  tone  of  despair. 
The  message  was  contained  on  the 
small  placard  held  about  his  neck  by 
a  string.  It  read,  "I  am  blind." 

"And  it  is  springtime" 

Most  did  not  stop  to  buy  his  pencils 
or  to  place  a  coin  in  the  tin  cup.  They 
were  too  busy,  too  occupied  by  their 
own  problems.  That  tin  cup  never  had 
been  filled  nor  even  half-filled.  Then 
one  beautiful  spring  day  a  man  paused 
and  with  a  marking  crayon  added 
several  new  words  to  the  shabby  sign. 
No  longer  did  it  read,  "I  am  blind." 
Now  the  message  read,  "It  is  spring- 
time, and  I  am  blind."  The  compassion 
of  human  feelings  could  not  now  be 
restrained.  The  cup  was  soon  filled  to 
overflowing.  Perhaps  the  busy  people 
were  touched  by  Charles  L.  O'Donnell's 
exclamation: 

"I  have  never  been  able  to  school 
my  eyes  against  young  April's  blue  sur- 
prise." To  each,  however,  the  coins 
were  a  poor  substitute  for  the  desired 
ability  to  actually  restore  sight. 

The  Gift  of  Sight 

Did  you  happen  to  notice  the  United 
Press  International  dispatch  from 
Sicily  which  appeared  some  weeks  ago 
in  our  local  newspapers?  "Five  brothers 
blind  since  birth  got  their  first  dim 
glimpse  of  the  world  Tuesday  and  cried 
with  delight."  The  Rotolo  brothers 
were  operated  on  for  removal  of  con- 


S  S.  M.ONSON  45 

genital  cataracts.  As  the  surgeon,  Luigi 
Picardo,  carefully  removed  their  ban- 
dages in  a  darkened  room,  how  he 
hoped  and  prayed  that  his  work  had 
been  successful. 

The  first  to  speak  was  four-year-old 
Calogero,  the  youngest  of  the  brothers. 
"The  necktie,"  he  cried,  tugging  at  the 
surgeon's  tie.  "I  can  see,  I  can  see."  The 
removal  of  the  bandages  from  the 
others'  eyes  was  accompanied  by  shouts 
of  joy.  The  boys'  father  could  hardly 
believe  it  when  he  held  thirteen-year- 
old  Carmelo's  face  in  his  hands  and 
tenderly  asked,  "Can  you  see,  my  son? 
Can  you  really  see?" 

By  now,  Mother  Rotolo,  the  doctors, 
everyone  was  weeping  for  joy.  Dr. 
Picardo  replaced  the  bandages  and 
slowly  walked  out  of  the  room.  Then 
he  sat  down  on  a  bench  and  wept. 
"Never,"  he  said,  "have  I  felt  such 
extraordinary  serenity;  such  happi- 
ness." Thus  a  skilled  surgeon  actually 
brought  the  gift  of  sight  to  five  little 
boys  who  had  been  blind. 

Each  of  us  knows  those  who  do  not 
have  sight.  We  also  know  many  others 
who  walk  in  darkness  at  noonday. 
Those  in  this  latter  group  may  never 
carry  the  usual  white  cane  and  care- 
fully make  their  way  to  the  sound  of  its 
familiar  tap,  tap,  tap.  They  may  not 
have  a  faithful  seeing-eye  dog  by  their 
side  nor  carry  a  sign  about  their  neck 
which  reads,  "I  am  blind."  But  blind 
they  surely  are.  Some  have  been 
blinded  by  anger,  others  by  indiffer- 
ence, by  revenge,  by  hate,  by  prejudice, 
by  ignorance,  by  neglect  of  precious 
opportunities. 

Of  such  the  Lord  said,  ". . .  their  ears 
are  dull  of  hearing,  and  their  eyes  they 
have  closed;  lest  at  any  time  they 
should  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear 
with  their  ears,  and  should  understand 
with  their  heart,  and  should  be  con- 
verted, and  I  should  heal  them."  (Matt. 
13:15.) 

Well  might  such  lament,  "It  is 
springtime,  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
has  been  restored,  and  yet  I  am  blind." 
Some  like  the  friend  of  Philip  of  old 
call  out,  "How  can  I  find  my  way  but 
some  man  guide  me."  (See  Acts  8:31.) 
Others  are  too  shy,  too  fearful  to  ask 
for  needed  help  that  their  precious 
vision  might  be  restored. 


46  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

The  case  of  the  Rotolo  brothers  made 
national  headlines.  In  literally  thou- 
sands of  other  instances,  the  transition 
from  the  dense  darkness  of  despair  to 
glorious  spiritual  light  is  accomplished 
without  fanfare,  without  publicity, 
without  the  recognition  of  the  world. 

From  Darkness  into  Light 

In  Price,  Utah,  seventy-six  men  to- 
gether with  their  wives  and  children 
walked  from  darkness  into  the  light  of 
understanding  and  truth  and  journeyed 
to  the  Manti  Temple,  there  to  partici- 
pate for  the  first  time  in  sacred,  holy 
ordinances.  More  than  three  hundred 
such  men,  women,  and  children  came 
to  the  Salt  Lake  Temple  from  Denver, 
Colorado,  for  the  same  purpose.  In 
Rigby,  Idaho;  Cardston,  Alberta;  and 
numerous  other  areas  the  account  has 
been  the  same.  Hundreds  are  seeing 
springtime  for  the  first  time. 

Let  me  share  with  you  two  typical 
comments  from  those  who  were  once 
blind  but  who  now  walk  in  light  and 
truth,  thanks  to  faithful  home  teachers 
and  a  program  sometimes  called  "Proj- 
ect Temple,"  which  is  planned  and 
instituted  to  motivate  brethren  long 
inactive. 

Lives  Enlightened  by  Truth 

From  a  family  in  central  Utah:  "Be- 
fore our  newly  found  church  activity, 
we  thought  we  were  living  average, 
normal  lives.  We  had  our  problems, 
our  ups  and  downs.  But  there  was  one 
thing  missing  in  our  home  and  that 
was  a  togetherness  that  only  the  priest- 
hood can  bring.  Now  we  have  that 
blessing,  and  our  love  for  one  another 
is  greater  than  we  ever  dreamed  it 
could  be.  We  are  truly  happy." 

From  another  family:  "We  thank 
our  Heavenly  Father  every  night  for 
our  bishopric  and  our  home  teachers 
who  have  helped  us  to  achieve  bless- 
ings that  seemed  so  far  away,  so  impos- 
sible to  obtain.  We  now  have  a  peace 
of  mind  beyond  description." 

Those  who  have  felt  the  touch  of 
the  Master's  hand  somehow  cannot 
explain  the  change  which  comes  into 
their  lives.  There  is  a  desire  to  live 
better,  to  serve  faithfully,  to  walk 


Second  Day 

humbly,  and  to  live  more  like  the 
Savior.  Having  received  their  spiritual 
eyesight  and  glimpsed  the  promises  of 
eternity,  they  echo  the  words  of  the 
blind  man  to  whom  Jesus  restored 
sight,  ".  .  .  one  thing  I  know,  that, 
whereas  I  was  blind,  now  I  see."  (John 
9:25.) 

How  can  we  account  for  these  mira- 
cles? Why  the  upsurge  of  activity  in 
men  long  dormant?  The  poet  speaking 
of  death  wrote,  "God  touched  him,  and 
he  slept."  I  say,  speaking  of  this  new 
birth,  "God  touched  them,  and  they 
awakened." 

Two  fundamental  reasons  largely  ac- 
count for  these  changes  of  attitudes,  of 
habits,  of  actions. 

First,  men  have  been  shown  their 
eternal  possibilities  and  have  made 
the  decision  to  achieve  them.  Men  can- 
not really  long  rest  content  with  medi- 
ocrity once  they  see  excellence  is  within 
their  reach. 

Second,  other  men  and  women  and, 
yes,  young  people  have  followed  the 
admonition  of  the  Savior  and  have 
loved  their  neighbors  as  themselves  and 
helped  to  bring  their  neighbors'  dreams 
to  fulfilment  and  their  ambitions  to 
realization. 

The  Principle  of  Love 

The  catalyst  in  this  process  has  been 
the  principle  of  love,  described  by 
President  David  O.  McKay  as  the 
noblest  attribute  of  the  human  soul. 

Frequently  the  love  of  a  child  can 
stir  a  man's  heart  to  action  and  bring 
a  change  into  his  life.  Last  winter  in 
a  large  department  store,  a  little  boy 
walked  hand  in  hand  with  his  mother 
and  father  to  the  toy  department  to 
see  Santa  Claus.  The  parents  had  not 
been  getting  along.  As  the  little  one 
climbed  upon  his  knee,  old  Santa 
cheerfully  asked,  "What  do  you  want 
for  Christmas?"  Santa  had  no  ready 
answer  when  the  lad  replied,  "Just  for 
my  daddy  to  love  my  mommy  like  he 
used  to."  Could  a  father  hear  such  a 
plea  and  not  be  moved?  Could  a 
mother?  "...  a  little  child  shall  lead 
them."  (Isa.  11:6.) 

Often  it  is  the  love  of  a  patient,  for- 
giving, and  understanding  wife  that 
awakens  within  a  man  the  desire  to 


ELDER  THOMAS  S.  MONSON 


47 


live  a  better  life,  to  be  the  husband 
and  the  father  he  knows  he  should  and 
can  be. 

Recently  I  had  the  privilege  of  per- 
forming a  sealing  ceremony  in  the 
temple  for  a  family  I  have  known  for 
many  years.  The  scene  was  one  of  tran- 
quility. The  cares  of  the  outside  world 
had  been  temporarily  discarded.  The 
quiet  and  peace  of  the  house  of  the 
Lord  filled  the  heart  of  each  one 
assembled  in  the  room.  I  knew  that  this 
particular  couple  had  been  married  for 
eighteen  years  and  had  never  before 
been  to  the  temple.  I  turned  to  the 
husband  and  asked,  "Jack,  who  is  re- 
sponsible for  bringing  this  glorious 
event  to  fulfilment?"  He  smiled  and 
silently  pointed  to  his  precious  wife 
who  sat  by  his  side.  I  seemed  to  sense 
that  this  lovely  woman  was  never 
more  proud  of  her  husband  than  at 
that  particular  moment.  Jack  then  di- 
rected my  attention  to  one  of  the 
brethren  serving  as  witness  to  this 
ceremony  and  likewise  acknowledged 
the  great  influence  for  good  that  he 
had  had  upon  his  life.  As  the  three 
beautiful  children  were  sealed  to  their 
parents,  I  could  not  help  noticing  the 
tears  which  welled  up  in  the  eyes  of 
the  teenage  daughter  and  then  coursed 
in  little  rivulets  down  her  cheeks, 
finally  tumbling  upon  clasped  hands. 
These  were  sacred  tears,  tears  of  su- 
preme joy,  tears  that  expressed  silent 
but  eloquent  gratitude  of  a  tender 
heart  too  full  to  speak. 

I  found  myself  thinking,  "Oh,  that 
such  men  and  women  would  not  wait 
eighteen  long  years  to  receive  this 
priceless  blessing." 

Yet  there  are  those  who  feel  that 
their  own  neglect,  their  bad  habits, 
their  shunning  of  the  righteous  life 
have  caused  God  to  abandon  them, 
that  he  will  no  longer  hear  their  plead- 
ings, nor  see  their  plight,  nor  feel  com- 
passion towards  them.  Such  feelings 
are  not  compatible  with  the  word  of 
the  Lord.  He  said: 

The  Wayward  Son  Returned 

"...  A  certain  man  had  two  sons: 
"And  the  younger  of  them  said  to 
his  father,  Father,  give  me  the  portion 
of  goods  that  falleth  to  me.  And  he 
divided  unto  them  his  living. 


"And  not  many  days  after  the 
younger  son  gathered  all  together,  and 
took  his  journey  into  a  far  country,  and 
there  wasted  his  substance  with  riotous 
living. 

"And  when  he  had  spent  all,  there 
arose  a  mighty  famine  in  that  land; 
and  he  began  to  be  in  want. 

"And  he  went  and  joined  himself  to 
a  citizen  of  that  country;  and  he  sent 
him  into  his  fields  to  feed  swine. 

"And  he  would  fain  have  filled  his 
belly  with  the  husks  that  the  swine  did 
eat:  and  no  man  gave  unto  him. 

"And  when  he  came  to  himself,  he 
said,  How  many  hired  servants  of  my 
father's  have  bread  enough  and  to 
spare,  and  I  perish  with  hunger! 

"I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  father,  and 
will  say  unto  him,  Father,  I  have 
sinned  against  heaven,  and  before  thee, 

"And  am  no  more  worthy  to  be 
called  thy  son:  make  me  as  one  of 
thy  hired  servants. 

"And  he  arose,  and  came  to  his 
father.  But  when  he  was  yet  a  great 
way  off,  his  father  saw  him,  and  had 
compassion,  and  ran,  and  fell  on  his 
neck,  and  kissed  him. 

"And  the  son  said  unto  him,  Father, 
I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  in 
thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to 
be  called  thy  son. 

"But  the  father  said  to  his  servants, 
Bring  forth  the  best  robe,  and  put  it  on 
him;  and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand,  and 
shoes  on  his  feet: 

"And  bring  hither  the  fatted  calf, 
and  kill  it;  and  let  us  eat,  and  be 
merry: 

"For  this  my  son  was  dead,  and  is 
alive  again;  he  was  lost,  and  is 
found  "  (Luke  15:11-24.) 

The  Weak  Become  Strong 

Should  there  be  anyone  who  feels  he 
is  too  weak  to  change  the  onward  and 
downward  moving  course  of  his  life 
or  should  there  be  those  who  fail  to 
resolve  to  do  better  because  of  that 
greatest  of  fears,  the  fear  of  failure, 
there  is  no  more  comforting  assurance 
to  be  had  than  the  words  of  the  Lord: 
".  .  .  my  grace  is  sufficient  for  all  men 
that  humble  themselves  before  me;  for 


48 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Monday,  April  5,  1965 

if  they  humble  themselves  before  me, 
and  have  faith  in  me,  then  will  I  make 
weak  things  become  strong  unto  them." 
(Ether  12:27.) 

There  are  men  and  women  every- 
where who  would  be  made  better  by 
our  helping  hand.  They  may  be  our 
neighbors,  our  friends,  our  business 
associates.  All  are  our  brothers  and 
sisters. 

The  prayer  of  my  heart  is  that  such 
persons  everywhere  will  respond  to 
the  kind  invitation  and  gentle  touch 
of  the  Master's  hand  and  faithfully 
serve  our  Lord  and  our  Savior,  who  so 
willingly  died  that  we  might  forever 
live,  hopefully  having  eyes  that  really 
see,  ears  that  truly  hear,  and  responsive 
hearts  that  know  and  feel,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


Second  Day 


President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

Elder  Thomas  S.  Monson  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  has  just  ad- 
dressed us.  Before  hearing  from 
Bishop  Vandenberg,  the  chorus  and 
congregation  will  join  in  singing, 
"Come,  Come  Ye  Saints,"  conducted  by 
Maughan  McMurdie. 

The  Choir  and  congregation  joined 
in  singing  the  hymn,  "Come,  Come, 
Ye  Saints,"  with  Maughan  McMurdie 
conducting. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

We  shall  now  hear  from  Bishop  John 
H.  Vandenberg,  Presiding  Bishop  of 
the  Church,  and  he  will  be  followed 
by  S.  Dilworth  Young,  First  Council 
of  Seventy. 


BISHOP  JOHN  H.  VANDENBERG 

Presiding  Bishop  of  the  Church 


A  historian  informs  us  that  about  100 
years  BC  a  new  milling  apparatus  had 
been  invented  by  a  master  craftsman 
in  the  hills  of  the  Fertile  Crescent. 
With  this  new  contrivance  the  grain 
was  ground  into  flour  by  a  swift- 
moving  stream  turning  a  paddle  wheel 
rather  than  by  the  laborious  method 
of  rotating  the  millstone  by  hand. 
Thus  the  power  of  a  stream  of  water 
was  put  to  work.  (Life  Science  Library 
[Machines],  p.  12.) 

The  poet  Longfellow  referred  to  a 
far  greater  power  and  a  more  signifi- 
cant milling  process  when  he  wrote: 
"Though  the  mills  of  God  grind  slowly, 
yet  they  grind  exceedingly  small; 
though  with  patience  He  stands  wait- 
ing, with  exactness  grinds  He  all." 
(Longfellow,  Poetic  Aphorisms:  Retri- 
bution.) By  this  we  are  reminded  that 
humankind  is  the  grain  being  milled, 
and  the  individual  is  a  kernel  of  grain 
working  between  the  opposing  forces  of 
life.  It  is  through  the  mill  or  experi- 
ences of  life  that  man  is  to  learn  and 
develop.  Here  he  attains  a  certain  de- 
gree of  knowledge  or  skill,  but  it  is 
through  discipline  and  self-control  that 
he  is  refined. 


The  Power  of  Words  and  Acts 

Today  I  want  to  talk  particularly 
about  the  harnessing  of  power  in  con- 
nection with  this  mill  of  life — the 
power  of  words  and  acts.  It  was  the 
words  of  the  Prophet  Jonah  that  saved 
the  great  city  Nineveh  from  destruc- 
tion. The  power  of  words  has  changed 
the  course  of  history  many  times  for 
good  and  many  times  for  bad.  In 
words  and  acts  men  influence  one  an- 
other. It  is  said  that  we  are  indivi- 
dually responsible  for  our  own  actions 
and  will  receive  the  just  reward  for  our 
deeds.  "Every  man  will  be  judged  ac- 
cording to  his  works"  (see  Mosiah 
3:24)  is  the  scriptural  warning.  Yet 
no  man  stands  alone;  one  man's  words 
and  acts  may  influence  another  man's 
deeds. 

"Opposition  in  all  things" 

The  Prophet  Lehi  explains  that  there 
is  an  opposition  in  all  things — light 
and  darkness,  good  and  evil,  joy  and 
misery.  (See  2  Nephi  2:11.)  Emerson 
said  that  a  dualism  bisects  nature. 
It  can  be  seen  in  night  and  day,  or  in 
a  magnet  with  north  and  south  poles. 
One  attracts;  the  other  repels.  Our 


BISHOP  ]OHN  I 

society,  therefore,  may  be  considered 
dualistic  also.  At  the  top  is  the  light 
of  our  age.  At  the  bottom  is  a  creep- 
ing, crawling,  cancerous  disease  of 
crime,  filth,  and  darkness.  With  un- 
limited goods,  seemingly  our  every 
want  and  need  provided  for,  our  con- 
tinuing mastery  over  disease,  our  ever 
enlarging  system  of  education  and 
higher  learning — with  all  this  and 
more  we  seem  to  be  so  independent 
that  we  are  confident  that  all  is  right. 
Yet  lurking  beside  us,  apparent  to  the 
one  who  will  intelligently  observe,  is 
a  monster  as  described  by  Alexander 
Pope: 

"Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful  mien, 
As  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be  seen; 
Yet  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  em- 
brace." (Essay  on  Man.) 

The  ratio  to  which  people  are  sub- 
jected to  evil  influences  versus  good 
influences  is  high  in  favor  of  the  evil. 
Satan  will  use  his  agents  in  every 
way  that  he  can  cunningly  to  lure 
individuals  into  his  web.  His  agents 
are  represented  by  people.  And  people 
influence  the  lives  of  other  people. 

Risks  of  Disaster 

It  is  estimated  that  by  1967  over 
fifty  percent  of  the  population  of  the 
United  States  will  be  those  twenty-five 
years  of  age  and  younger.  The  worri- 
some thing  is  the  exposure  of  this 
young  group  to  the  evil  forces  of  illicit 
love,  drunkenness,  crime,  violence,  un- 
wholesome movies,  dishonesty,  risque 
literature,  and  all  means  of  vulgarity. 
One  is  faced  with  the  question  in  the 
Old  Testament:  "Can  a  man  take  fire 
in  his  bosom,  and  his  clothes  not  be 
burned?"  (Prov.  6:27.)  There  are  many 
who  cast  all  common  sense  to  the  wind 
and  try  to  tell  us  that  we  can.  There 
are  those  who  may  think  they  can 
sit  apathetically  by  and  not  be  a  part 
of  the  "era  of  advancement  or  the 
cellar  of  crime." 

Offences  of  Vice 

I  would  like  to  point  to  the  Savior's 
warning:  ".  .  .  whoso  shall  offend  one 
of  these  little  ones  which  believe  in 
me,  it  were  better  for  him  that  a  mill- 
stone were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and 


.  VANDENBERG  49 

that  he  were  drowned  in  the  depth  of 
the  sea."  (Matt.  18:6.  Italics  added.) 
This  doctrine  states  it  is  better  to  lose 
your  life  than  wilfully  to  offend. 

The  word  "offend"  as  used  by  the 
Master  means  "to  cause  to  sin  or  fall." 
This  definition  is  now  almost  lost  in 
our  modern-day  language,  but  the 
word  was  used  with  this  meaning  in 
the  days  of  Christ  and  even  up  until  a 
century  or  two  ago. 

Jesus  also  said:  "Woe  unto  the  world 
because  of  offencesl  for  it  must  needs 
be  that  offences  come;  but  woe  to  that 
man  by  whom  the  offence  cometh!" 
(Ibid.,  18:7.) 

Wilful  wrong  teaching,  wrong  ex- 
ample, wrong  utterance,  wrong  action 
by  those  of  influence  are  offenses  to 
any  youth,  and  the  retribution  follows 
as  night  the  day  that  "no  man  ever 
did  a  designed  injury  to  another,  but  at 
the  same  time  he  did  a  greater  to  him- 
self." (Henry  Home,  "Injury,"  The 
New  Dictionary  of  Thoughts.) 

Truth  of  God  vs.  Philosophy  of  Men 

Many  college  students,  as  well  as 
high  school  students,  become  confused 
when  some  of  their  professors,  in  their 
important  positions  of  influence,  try 
to  indoctrinate  them  with  philosophies 
of  men  with  atheistic  ideas.  Such  teach- 
ers may  be  described  as  wells  without 
water.  They  are  very  forceful  in  their 
distorted  view  and  in  their  criticisms 
of  those  who  possess  faith  in  God.  I 
would  remind  young  people  to  re- 
member that  God  is  the  author  of  all 
truth  and  to  disregard  any  teaching 
that  conflicts  with  the  word  of  God. 

Universities  and  other  centers  of 
learning  are  set  up  by  inspiration  for 
the  betterment  of  mankind.  But  the 
"dualism"  spoken  of  by  Emerson  exists 
at  all  levels.  When  you  have  questions 
as  to  religious  matters,  go  to  your  par- 
ents or  the  bishop  who  have  a  knowl- 
edge of  and  authority  from  God.  Ask 
them  to  help  you  consider  such  phi- 
losophies as  you  may  hear  in  the  light 
of  the  true  principles  and  help  you  to 
keep  and  develop  your  faith  in  God. 
Be  alert  and  do  not  let  men  confuse 
you  into  thinking  that  they  know  more 
about  man's  existence  than  God's 
authorized  representatives. 

The  Lord  speaks  through  his  proph- 


50 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Monday,  April  5,  1965 

ets,  and  his  commandments  so  revealed 
are  taught  by  his  authorized  agents. 
History  will  bear  out  that  when  evil 
principles  are  taught  and  faith  in  God 
is  destroyed,  the  people  go  down  to 
oblivion;  but  when  faith  in  God  is 
established  in  the  hearts  of  men,  the 
people  flourish. 

Means  of  Knowing  Good  from  Evil 

Man  himself  must  learn  to  reason 
and  to  discern  good  from  evil.  Recently, 
I  heard  a  man  in  the  process  of  rea- 
soning as  he  contemplated  the  movie 
advertising  "for  adults  only."  He  posed 
several  questions  to  himself,  some  of 
which  were:  Why  adults  only?  Should 
adults  see  things  which  are  prohibited 
to  children?  If  it  is  good  for  adults, 
why  not  for  the  children?  If  bad  for  the 
children,  why  not  bad  for  the  adults? 
If  unlawful  for  children  to  see,  why 
not  for  adults?  He  finally  reasoned  if  it 
were  not  good  for  his  children,  it  was 
not  good  for  him  as  a  parent.  Such  ad- 
vertisements are  cunning  lures  of  Satan 
as  he  attempts  to  influence  and  destroy 
ethical  and  moral  values. 

I  read  in  the  news  recently  of  the 
wisdom  a  judge  used  in  Iowa  as  he 
sentenced  two  juveniles  on  auto  theft 
charges.  I  was  thrilled  that  this  judge 
took  the  time  to  give  the  following 
advice.  His  example  may  serve  as  a 
challenge  to  all  civil  judges  or  judges 
in  Israel  who  are  called  to  give  advice. 

Penalties  of  a  Prison  Record 

"Now  you  have  been  convicted  of 
a  felony,"  he  said.  "A  felony  is  a  crime 
for  which  you  might  be  sent  to  the 
penitentiary.  In  this  case  I  do  not  have 
to  send  you  to  the  penitentiary.  .  .  . 
I  am  permitted  to  give  you  a  parole. 

"But  if  you  never  see  the  inside  of  a 
penitentiary  or  the  jail  you  will  not 
have  escaped  from  the  penalties  of  your 
crime. 

".  .  .  The  record  of  your  conviction 
will  be  here  as  long  as  the  courthouse 
stands.  .  .  .  Next  year,  or  ten  years  from 
now,  or  when  you  are  old  men,  if  you 
are  ever  called  to  be  witnesses  in  any 
court  of  law,  some  lawyer  will  point 
his  finger  at  you  and  ask  this  question: 
'Have  you  ever  been  convicted  of  a 
felony?' 


Second  Day 

"And  you  will  hang  your  head  and 
admit  that  you  have.  .  .  . 

"It  may  be  that  some  day  .  .  .  you 
will  apply  for  a  passport.  .  .  .  No  coun- 
try will  allow  you  to  become  a  resi- 
dent. .  .  . 

"Some  day  you  may  seek  a  position 
in  the  civil  service  of  your  state  or  of 
your  nation.  On  the  application  blank 
you  will  find  this  question:  'Have  you 
ever  been  convicted  of  a  felony?'  Your 
truthful  answer  will  bar  you  from  ex- 
amination; an  untruthful  answer  will 
be  detected  because  appointments  are 
made  only  after  investigation.  .  .  . 

"Some  day  you  may  want  to  take 
a  position  of  trust,  where  a  surety  bond 
is  required.  On  the  application  for  the 
bond  will  appear  this  question:  'Have 
you  ever  been  convicted  of  a  felony?' 

"And  while  you  are  going  from  one 
bonding  company  to  another  trying  to 
find  one  willing  to  take  a  chance  on 
you,  the  position  will  be  filled  by  some 
applicant  who  has  not  been  convicted 
of  a  felony. 

"In  a  few  years  you  will  be  21  and 
others  of  your  age  will  have  the  right 
to  vote,  but  you  will  not.  .  .  . 

"You  will  be  a  citizen  of  your  state 
and  country,  but  you  will  have  no 
voice  in  public  affairs.  .  .  . 

"Your  country  is  calling  men  to  the 
colors.  .  .  .  But  the  Army  will  never 
accept  you,  nor  will  the  Navy.  Military 
men  are  proud  of  the  service;  they  will 
not  permit  it  to  be  debased  by  the  en- 
listments of  convicted  felons. 

"I  am  granting  you  a  parole.  A 
parole  is  in  no  sense  a  pardon.  You 
will  report  to  the  men  who  have  ac- 
cepted your  parole  as  often  as  they 
may  ask.  Your  convenience  is  not  a 
matter  of  importance.  .  .  . 

"Should  the  slightest  complaint  of 
your  conduct  reach  this  court  your 
parole  will  be  revoked  immediately, 
and  you  will  begin  serving  your  sen- 
tence. You  will  not  be  brought  back 
here  for  questioning  or  explanations. 
You  will  be  picked  up  and  taken  to 
prison  without  notice  to  you  and  with- 
out delay."  (Deseret  News,  February 
23,  1965,  p.  A15.) 

A  lesson  well  taught  is  a  lesson  well 
remembered.  I  wonder  what  the  two 
boys  might  have  done  had  they  had 
the  influence  of  the  judge's  counsel 


ELDER  S.  DILWORTH  YOUNG 


51 


before  the  theft,  rather  than  the  influ- 
ence that  promoted  the  felony. 

Exemplify  Righteousness 

Parents,  church  leaders,  and  all  who 
aspire  to  positions  of  influence,  teach 
the  youth  the  proper  way  to  live;  help 
them  to  develop  faith  in  God  and  a 
good,  strong  character;  help  them  to 
follow  the  right  influence,  that  they 
may  retain  faith  in  God.  Guide  them 
as  Susanna  Wesley,  the  wise  and  de- 
voted mother  of  John  Wesley,  coun- 
seled her  son:  "Would  you  judge  of  the 
lawfulness  or  unlawfulness  of  a  plea- 
sure, take  this  rule:  Whatever  impairs 
in  tenderness  your  conscience,  weakens 
your  reason,  obscures  your  sense  of 
God,  or  takes  off  the  relish  of  spiritual 
things;  whatever  increases  the  author- 
ity of  your  body  over  your  mind — that 
thing  to  you  is  sin." 

Influences  Elevate  or  Deteriorate 

Remember  that  the  mills  of  God 
grind  slowly,  but  they  grind  exceed- 
ingly small.  In  every  segment  of  so- 
ciety, there  are  those  influences  which 
elevate  and  those  which  deteriorate 
the  human  soul. 


The  Savior  miraculously  fed  the 
four  thousand.  Then  he  crossed  the 
Sea  of  Galilee  and  came  into  the  coasts 
of  Magdala.  There  the  materialistic, 
self-centered,  and  egotistical  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees  came,  tempting  him  to 
show  them  a  sign  from  heaven.  He 
observed  that  they  could  determine 
the  weather,  but  they  could  not  dis- 
cern the  signs  of  the  times.  "An  evil 
and  adulterous  generation  seeketh  after 
a  sign;  .  .  ."  (Matt.  12:39)  warned 
Jesus.  Today  we  have  some  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees  in  our  society,  cloaked 
in  the  disguise  and  the  influence  of 
"professionalism,"  urging  youth  not 
to  believe  unless  such  can  be  measured 
in  terms  of  materialistic  values.  In 
this  mill  of  life  we  should  heed  the 
counsel  that  Jesus  gave  to  his  disciples: 
"Take  heed  and  beware  of  the  leaven 
of  the  Pharisees  and  of  the  Sadducees." 
(Ibid.,  16:6.) 

This  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

Elder  S.  Dilworth  Young  of  the  First 
Council  of  Seventy  will  now  speak  to 
us. 


ELDER  S.  DILWORTH  YOUNG 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


Records  on  Metal  Plates 

One  looks  with  awe  as  he  contemplates 
the  history  of  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
Today  the  account  of  how  it  was  writ- 
ten is  entirely  plausible  to  most  men. 
Because  of  archeological  research  it  is 
now  known  that  writing  on  metal 
plates  was  common  in  the  time  of  Lehi. 
Men  have  written  on  plates  many  times. 
Prophets  have  sung  their  prophecies 
and  recorded  them,  kings  have  told  of 
their  conquests,  and  ministers  of  state 
have  described  their  relations  with 
other  nations.  Even  the  common  ac- 
counts of  common  people  have  been 
inscribed.  Written  on  metal  plates, 
leather,  or  papyrus,  in  languages 
strange  to  us  today,  all  of  these  have 
come  to  our  attention. 

Men  have  gone  to  great  lengths  to 
certify  their  discoveries.  "At  this  cer- 


tain place  we  dug,"  they  would  write. 
And  there  were  present  others  to  verify 
discovery  and  to  help  interpret  its 
place  in  history. 

This  was  not  so  in  1829.  At  that  time 
books  written  on  metal  plates  were 
known  to  but  few  men. 

Unique  Aspects  of  the  Miracle  of 
Translation 

But  nowhere  in  recorded  history 
has  a  sacred  book  been  buried  in  the 
earth  and  then  been  brought  forth  by 
a  miracle  such  as  this  one  in  which  an 
angel  of  God  visited  a  young  man  and 
pointed  the  way  to  the  hiding  place 
and  then  withheld  the  record  until  the 
man  was  prepared  to  receive  it.  The 
prophecies  said  that  the  latter-day 
work  would  be  marvelous  and  wonder- 
ful. Seldom  before  has  a  single  act 


52  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

brought  forth  so  much  to  marvel  at. 
There  was  the  revelation  to  the  young 
man;  there  was  the  four-year  period  of 
instruction;  there  was  the  providential 
provision  of  scribes;  there  was  the 
literal  fulfilment  of  Isaiah's  prophecy 
in  which  a  learned  man  said  he  could 
not  read  a  sealed  book  (see  Isa.  29:11) ; 
there  was  the  miraculous  vision  in 
which  three  men  saw  the  plates  and 
heard  the  voice  declare  that  this  work 
was  done  by  the  power  of  God;  there 
was  the  earthly  view  of  the  plates  by 
eight  earnest,  solemn  men  who  saw  and 
"hefted"  the  plates  and  knew  "of  a 
surety  that  the  said  Smith"  indeed  had 
them.  (See  the  Testimony  of  Eight 
Witnesses,  Book  of  Mormon.) 

How  to  Read  the  Book  of  Mormon 
for  Confirmation  of  Its  Truth 

With  all  of  this  the  Lord  asks  but 
one  thing  of  the  reader.  Read  the  Book 
of  Mormon  honestly,  prayerfully,  with 
a  desire  to  know  its  truth;  and  if  the 
intent  is  sincere,  God  will  reveal 
the  truth  of  it  to  that  person  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  To  their 
wonderment  and  marveling  as  they 
discover  its  truths  for  themselves, 
many  have  read  and  believed.  And 
further,  with  that  testimony  from  the 
Holy  Ghost  has  come  the  assurance 
also  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Creator 
and  Lord  of  this  earth,  that  he  is 
mindful  of  all  those  who  seek  him, 
that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  Prophet  of 
God  and  by  revelation  established  this, 
The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints. 

Witnesses  Do  Not  Stand  Alone 

The  young  missionaries  bear  their 
solemn  witness;  but  as  they  do  it,  they 
do  not  stand  alone,  nor  does  a  listen- 
ing person  need  to  pin  his  hopes  on 
their  word  alone.  In  their  hands  as 
they  speak  is  the  Book  of  Mormon 
which  bears  its  own  witness.  It  is  as 
if  they  said,  "We  have  told  you  that 
the  gospel  has  been  restored;  now  here 
is  a  witness  which  will  convince  you 
that  we  speak  truly.  You  will  know  it 
if  you  read  it  sincerely."  Those  for- 
tunate enough  to  follow  this  advice 
discover  that  it  is  truly  a  witness  for 
Christ.  That  is  its  chief  purpose:  to 


Second  Day 

bear  witness  for  Christ  to  the  convinc- 
ing of  Jew  and  gentile  that  Jesus  is 
the  Christ  and  that  his  gospel  is  for 
all  men. 

The  number  of  people  who  have 
picked  up  the  book  by  chance,  read  it, 
and  become  converted  to  its  message 
has  been  very  great.  It  is  a  silent  wit- 
ness, on  duty  twenty-four  hours  every 
day  in  many  unexpected  places.  But 
to  do  its  most  effective  work  it  must 
be  in  many  more.  Every  home  should 
have  it  in  its  library;  every  place 
people  stop  for  a  moment  it  should  be 
available.  It  is  possible  that  the 
person  who  obtains  a  copy  will  not 
read  it,  but  sooner  or  later  there  will 
be  those  who  will  see  it,  pick  it  up, 
turn  to  the  page  containing  its  de- 
clared purpose,  and  then  become  lost 
in  the  spiritual  message  of  its  drama 
and  its  history.  With  marveling  in 
their  souls  and  wonder  in  their  hearts, 
they  will  peruse  its  pages,  receive  and 
believe  the  promise  at  its  end,  and 
find  the  kingdom  of  God  in  this  living, 
vibrant  Church. 

Projects  for  Making  the  Book  of 
Mormon  Available 

For  a  long  time  there  has  been  a 
vast  project  to  make  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon available  to  everyone  who  can 
read.  Quorums  of  the  priesthood  have 
placed  it  where  people  stay  overnight 
or  await  their  turn  in  professional 
offices.  The  high  priests  have  done 
this  great  service.  Now,  from  here  on, 
under  the  direction  of  the  missionary 
committee  of  the  Church,  the  seven- 
ties quorums  are  to  continue  this  act 
of  love.  On  the  firm  foundation  laid 
by  the  high  priests,  the  seventies  will 
now  carry  the  work  further  and  to 
more  and  more  people.  No  one,  it  is 
hoped,  will  be  able  to  say  that  he  has 
not  had  opportunity  to  read  this  wit- 
ness for  Christ. 

"A  Marvelous  Work  and  a  Wonder" 

Anyone  who  reads  it  with  sincere 
purpose  and  genuine  desire  to  know 
the  truth  will  have  it  borne  into  his 
soul  that  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God, 
is  the  Creator  and  Redeemer  of  the 
world.  He  will  also  know  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  the  Living 


ELDER  HENRY  D.  TAYLOR 


53 


God,  called  by  the  Lord  as  the  human 
agent  for  the  restoration  of  the  gospel 
in  the  last  days.  It  will  be  a  witness 
to  a  work  so  marvelous  that  wonder 
and  joy  will  spring  into  the  hearts  of 
men  as  they  respond  to  its  message 
and  its  testimony. 

In  our  day  we  see  the  fulfilment 
of  a  prophecy  written  more  than  two 
thousand  years  ago:  "Forasmuch  as 
this  people  draw  near  me  with  their 
mouth,  and  with  their  lips  do  honour 
me,  but  have  removed  their  heart  far 
from  me,  and  their  fear  toward  me  is 
taught  by  the  precept  of  men: 

"Therefore,  behold,  I  will  proceed 
to  do  a  marvellous  work  among  this 
people,  even  a  marvellous  work  and  a 
wonder:  for  the  wisdom  of  their  wise 
men  shall  perish,  and  the  understand- 
ing of  their  prudent  men  shall  be 
hid."  (Isa.  29:13-14.) 

Let  us  not  falter  in  the  effort  to 
bring  about  its  complete  fulfilment 


to  the  awe  and  wonderment  of  all 
men  in  this  day. 

The  Church  is  carrying  forth  its 
assigned  work  to  teach  repentance  and 
salvation  to  the  world,  and  its  beckon- 
ing arms  say,  "Come."  President  David 
O.  McKay  is  the  prophet  of  God  on 
whom  rests  the  responsibility  to  guide 
the  work  today.  It  is  our  equal  re- 
sponsibility to  assist  him  all  we  can, 
and  the  work  will  then  roll  forth  as 
Daniel  prophesied  until  it  fills  the 
whole  earth.  (See  Dan.  2:35.)  That  it 
may  soon  be,  I  pray  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

We  have  just  listened  to  S.  Dilworth 
Young  of  the  First  Council  of  Seventy. 
We  will  now  hear  from  Brother  Henry 
D.  Taylor,  Assistant  to  the  Council  of 
Twelve,  and  he  will  be  followed  by 
Elder  Howard  W.  Hunter  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  Twelve. 


ELDER  HENRY  D.  TAYLOR 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


After  the  earth  had  been  organized  and 
beautified,  the  Lord  created  man  in 
his  own  image  and  after  his  own  like- 
ness. And  then  the  Lord  God  said: 
"It  is  not  good  that  the  man  should  be 
alone;  I  will  make  him  an  help  meet 
for  him."  (Gen.  2:18.)  Eve  was  then 
created  and  given  to  Adam  as  a  com- 
panion and  wife. 

"No  man  is  an  island" 

The  poet  Longfellow  beautifully  ex- 
pressed this  relationship  of  husband 
and  wife  in  the  following  verse: 

As  unto  the  bow  the  cord  is, 

So  unto  the  man  is  woman; 

Though  she  bends  him,  she  obeys 
him, 

Though  she  draws  him,  yet  she 
follows; 

Useless  each  without  the  other! 

(Hiawatha.) 

The  Lord's  declaration,  "It  is  not 
good  that  the  man  should  be  alone; 
.  . ."  (Gen.  2:18)  has  lofty  significance. 
A  babe  born  into  this  world  is  a  help- 
less creature,  dependent  on  its  parents 


for  care,  love,  and  sustenance.  Then  as 
his  life's  cycle  expands  toward  ma- 
turity, many  other  people  affect  the 
course  of  his  life.  Association  with 
other  youth  and  participation  in  their 
activities,  schools,  movies,  television, 
radio,  and  other  media  also  influence 
the  individual. 

One  of  the  most  vital  forces  in  this 
teaching  or  training  process  is  that 
of  the  Church.  Someone  has  estimated 
that  a  boy  fourteen  years  of  age,  raised 
in  the  Church,  would  have  had  ap- 
proximately twenty-five  auxiliary  and 
priesthood  teachers  and  leaders  who 
provided  more  than  a  thousand  hours 
of  gospel  instruction  for  his  benefit. 
Added  to  this  there  probably  would  be 
another  twenty-five  persons  currently 
engaged  in  bringing  the  full  program 
of  the  Church  to  him. 

Although  one  is  bom  alone  and  dies 
alone  and  is  free  to  live,  think,  feel, 
and  act  by  himself,  he  needs  help  in 
reaching  his  highest  possible  potential. 
He  cannot  do  it  fully  by  himself. 

As  members  of  the  Church,  we  are 
traveling  along  the  same  highway, 


54  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1X5 

each  one  working  out  his  own  salva- 
tion, with  exaltation  and  eternal  life 
in  the  celestial  kingdom  as  the  goal. 
Yet  in  this  striving  process  we  are  not 
alone;  we  gain  and  give  strength  and 
encouragement  to  each  other.  It  has 
been  aptly  stated:  "No  man  is  an 
island;  no  man  stands  alone."  (John 
Donne. ) 

God  in  the  Solitudes 

But  there  are  those  who  feel  that 
they  have  no  need  for  anyone  else, 
that  they  are  sufficient  unto  them- 
selves. Such  persons  claim,  for  in- 
stance, that  it  is  not  necessary  to  attend 
church  meetings  and  mingle  with 
others.  They  suggest  that  they  can  wor- 
ship alone  in  the  mountains,  in  the 
canyons,  in  the  out-of-doors. 

It  is  true  that  momentous  events 
have  transpired  out  in  nature.  Moses 
heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord  from  the 
burning  bush  on  the  hillside  and  also 
received  the  Ten  Commandments  on 
Mt.  Sinai.  Joseph  Smith  was  blessed 
with  the  actual  visitation  from  God 
the  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  Sacred  Grove.  The  spirit  of  wor- 
ship was  surely  present  on  those  hal- 
lowed occasions.  The  Savior  taught  that 
secret  prayer  is  efficacious  when  he 
suggested:  ".  .  .  when  thou  prayest, 
enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when  thou 
hast  shut  thy  door,  pray  to  thy  Father 
which  is  in  secret;  and  thy  Father 
which  seeth  in  secret  shall  reward  thee 
openly."  (Matt.  6:6.) 

Worship  for  "the  perfection  of  the 
Saints" 

Even  though  Moses,  Joseph  Smith, 
and  the  Master  all  worshiped  as  indi- 
viduals and  prayed  secretly,  yet  each 
indicated  the  need  for  group  worship. 
The  Lord  had  Moses  set  up  the  mag- 
nificent Tabernacle  in  the  wilderness; 
the  Prophet  Joseph  was  directed  to 
build  churches  and  temples  and  estab- 
lish a  group  educational  system;  and 
the  Savior  established  his  church 
organization  for  the  purpose  of  "per- 
fecting .  .  .  the  saints,  for  the  work  of 
the  ministry.  .  .  ."  (Eph.  4:12.)  We 
have  received  from  God  many  com- 
mandments that  require  participation 


Second  Day 

together  as  church  members.  The  Lord 
has  said: 

"And  that  thou  mayest  more  fully 
keep  thyself  unspotted  from  the  world, 
thou  shalt  go  to  the  house  of  prayer 
and  offer  up  thy  sacraments  upon  my 
holy  day; 

"For  verily  this  is  a  day  appointed 
unto  you  to  rest  from  your  labors,  and 
to  pay  thy  devotions  unto  the  Most 
High;  .  .  ."  (D&C  59:9-10.) 

Also  remember  the  instruction:  "It 
is  expedient  that  the  church  meet  to- 
gether often  to  partake  of  bread  and 
wine  in  the  remembrance  of  the  Lord 
Jesus."  (D&C  20:75.) 

Many  blessings  come  from  assem- 
bling with  other  members  of  the 
Church.  On  fast  day  we  are  inspired 
and  uplifted  as  we  hear  fervent  testi- 
monies borne.  In  Sunday  School  and 
other  meetings  we  profit  by  the  ex- 
periences and  expressions  of  others. 
Then  also  consider  the  value  of  the 
warm  smile  and  hearty  handclasp  as 
we  associate  together,  giving  us  a  feel- 
ing of  brotherhood  and  unity,  a  sense 
of  belonging — belonging  to  one  another 
and  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  joys 
we  feel  are  many,  many  times  greater 
than  if  we  attempted  to  work  and 
worship  alone. 

Fellowship  with  the  Saints 

It  was  not  meant  that  we  should 
stand  alone.  No  one  is  an  island.  We 
need  to  be  in  fellowship  with  the 
Saints.  By  them  our  lives  can  be  made 
better  and  richer.  Recently  I  heard  of 
an  incident  which  illustrates  this  point. 
A  boy  was  extended  an  invitation  to 
visit  his  uncle  who  was  a  lumberjack 
up  in  the  Northwest.  For  months  the 
boy  had  looked  forward  with  antici- 
pation to  this  trip  as  an  exciting  ad- 
venture. Finally  the  time  came  for  his 
journey  to  the  vast  timber  empire  of 
our  country.  His  uncle  met  him  at  the 
depot,  and  as  the  two  pursued  their 
way  to  the  lumber  camp,  the  boy  was 
impressed  by  the  enormous  size  of  the 
trees  on  every  hand.  There  was  a 
gigantic  tree  which  he  observed  stand- 
ing all  alo»e  on  the  top  of  a  small  hill. 
The  boy,  full  of  awe,  called  out  ex- 
citedly, "Uncle  George,  look  at  that 


ELDER  HOWARD  W.  HUNTER 


55 


big  treel  It  will  make  a  lot  of  good 
lumber,  won't  it?" 

Good  Trees  Grow  in  Groves 

Uncle  George  slowly  shook  his  head, 
then  replied,  "No,  son,  that  tree  will 
not  make  a  lot  of  good  lumber.  It 
might  make  a  lot  of  lumber  but  not 
a  lot  of  good  lumber.  When  a  tree 
grows  off  by  itself,  too  many  branches 
grow  on  it.  Those  branches  produce 
knots  when  the  tree  is  cut  into  lumber. 
The  best  lumber  comes  from  trees 
that  grow  together  in  groves.  The 
trees  also  grow  taller  and  straighter 
when  they  grow  together." 

It  is  so  with  people.  We  become 
better  individuals,  more  useful  timber 
when  we  grow  together  rather  than 
alone. 

This  growing  together  places  a  re- 
sponsibility upon  each  one  of  us.  We 
should  try  fully  to  appreciate  all  our 
associates,  help  them,  love  them,  teach 
them  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  his  plan  of  salvation  for  them. 
We  are  all  the  children  of  God.  We 
can  help  others;  they  can  help  us. 
Together  we  can  become  valuable 
timber    in    effectively    building  his 


Church  in  which  we  are  blessed  to 
hold  membership. 

Somewhere  out  there  in  the  wards 
and  branches  and  cities  where  you 
live  are  those  who  are  lonely — lonely 
for  want  of  the  light  of  truth;  lonely 
for  the  association  of  those  who  re- 
flect the  Spirit  of  the  Master;  lonely, 
though  they  may  not  realize  it  now,  to 
be  a  part  of  the  body  of  Saints  that 
make  up  the  kingdom  of  God  here 
on  the  earth.  Don't  let  them  stand 
alone  in  the  dark.  Go  to  them.  Let 
your  life  be  a  lamp  to  their  feet.  Guide 
them  till  they  stand  with  you  and  your 
associates  in  the  gospel  of  our  Re- 
deemer. This  is  your  responsibility, 
your  obligation,  your  mission,  your 
privilege.  May  you  fulfil  all  of  these 
opportunities  humbly  and  nobly,  I 
pray  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

We  have  just  listened  to  Elder  Henry 
D.  Taylor,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve, 
and  Elder  Howard  W.  Hunter  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  be  our 
concluding  speaker.  Elder  Hunter. 


ELDER  HOWARD  W.  HUNTER 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


The  beginnings  of  most  of  the  religions 
of  the  world  are  somewhat  obscure, 
and  this  is  true  of  the  beginnings  of 
Israel's  religion.  The  central  event 
upon  which  all  of  the  early  stories 
converge  is  the  exodus  of  Israel  from 
Egypt.  A  series  of  events  occurred 
which  demonstrates  the  concern  of  the 
Lord  for  his  children.  The  Hebrews 
believe  that  their  God  had  made  him- 
self known  to  them  at  the  hour  of 
their  deepest  need  by  providing  a 
liberation  from  their  taskmasters,  the 
Pharaohs  of  Egypt.  The  Lord  called 
Moses  to  lead  them.  It  was  not  an  easy 
assignment  to  lead  people  who  wavered 
between  faith  and  doubt,  obedience 
and  defiance. 

Clues  to  Evidence  of  God's  Concern 
for  His  Children 

Military  strategy  did  not  deliver  the 


children  of  Israel  from  the  pursuing 
Egyptian  armies  at  the  Sea  of  Reeds, 
but  the  protection  of  the  Lord,  who 
separated  the  waters  so  that  they  might 
pass  over  dry-shod  and  escape.  He 
came  to  their  rescue  from  the  pillar  of 
cloud  and  fire.  He  sustained  them  in 
their  needs  as  they  moved  across  the 
Sinai  Peninsula.  When  they  suffered 
from  thirst,  he  caused  the  waters  to  be 
made  sweet.  To  relieve  them  from 
hunger,  he  provided  quail  and  manna. 
In  spite  of  these  great  manifestations, 
Moses  was  besieged  with  the  constant 
task  of  preserving  unity  and  order.  On 
occasions  there  were  murmurings 
against  the  great  leader  and  attacks  on 
his  authority  when  they  were  delayed 
in  reaching  their  expected  goal  of  the 
land  of  milk  and  honey. 

After  a  long  struggle  the  Israelites 
entered  the  desert  of  Sinai  and  estab- 


56  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1X5 

lished  a  camp  at  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain. It  was  while  here  that  a  marvel- 
ous event  took  place.  Moses  had  gone 
up  on  the  mountain  to  seek  divine 
guidance  in  the  solution  to  the  prob- 
lems which  faced  him. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third 
day  in  the  morning,  that  there  were 
thunders  and  lightnings,  and  a  thick 
cloud  upon  the  mount,  and  the  voice 
of  the  trumpet  exceeding  loud;  so  that 
all  the  people  that  was  in  the  camp 
trembled. 

"And  Moses  brought  forth  the  people 
out  of  the  camp  to  meet  with  God;  and 
they  stood  at  the  nether  part  of  the 
mount. 

"And  mount  Sinai  was  altogether 
on  a  smoke,  because  the  Lord  descended 
upon  it  in  fire:  and  the  smoke  thereof 
ascended  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace, 
and  the  whole  mount  quaked  greatly. 

"And  when  the  voice  of  the  trumpet 
sounded  long,  and  waxed  louder  and 
louder,  Moses  spake,  and  God  answered 
him  by  a  voice."  (Exod.  19:16-19.) 

After  the  happening  of  these  events 
on  this  awesome  occasion,  the  Lord 
stood  on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and 
Moses  was  allowed  to  approach  him. 
The  seventy  elders  were  permitted  to 
move  part  way  up  the  mountain,  and 
all  others  remained  at  the  base.  The 
Lord  then  proceeded  to  announce  what 
has  come  to  be  known  as  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments or  the  Decalogue.  In 
Hebrew  the  Decalogue  is  known  as 
the  Ten  Words  because  in  its  primitive 
Hebrew  form  it  consists  of  ten  brief 
phrases,  each  only  two  words  long. 

The  First  Commandment 

"Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods 
before  me."  (Ibid.,  20:3.)  In  Egypt  the 
Israelites  had  been  surrounded  by 
people  who  worshiped  other  gods,  but 
they  had  become  familiar  with  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  through  the 
miracles  he  had  performed  in  bringing 
them  through  the  Red  Sea  and  deliver- 
ing them  from  the  Egyptians,  bringing 
water  from  the  rock,  providing  quail 
and  manna  when  they  were  hungry, 
and  a  pillar  of  cloud  to  direct  them. 
This  commandment  to  have  no  other 
gods  was  given  as  primary  for  man's 
happiness,  that  he  might  give  his 


Second  Day 

allegiance  to  his  true  Father.  There 
must  be  one  supreme  loyalty  in  one's 
life  to  the  true  God. 

The  Second  Commandment 

"Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  any 
graven  image,  or  any  likeness  of  any 
thing  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that 
is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is 
in  the  water  under  the  earth: 

"Thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself 
to  them,  nor  serve  them:  for  I  the 
Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God,  visit- 
ing the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the 
children  unto  the  third  and  fourth 
generation  of  them  that  hate  me; 

"And  shewing  mercy  unto  thousands 
of  them  that  love  me,  and  keep  my 
commandments."  (Ibid.,  20:4-6.)  Un- 
der the  bonds  of  Egypt,  the  Israelites 
had  been  subjected  to  the  worship  of 
the  graven  images  prohibited  by  this 
commandment.  It  might  be  noted  at 
this  point  that  there  are  some  of  the 
major  Christian  denominations  of  the 
world  which  omit  from  the  Decalogue 
this  second  commandment  pertaining 
to  graven  images  in  its  entirety  and 
divide  the  tenth  in  order  to  have  ten 
commandments.  History  has  well  por- 
trayed the  calamities  that  come  to  the 
generations  of  children  when  fathers 
turn  from  the  true  God.  On  the  other 
hand  we  see  the  blessings  which  come 
to  children  of  righteous  parents. 

The  Third  Commandment 

"Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of 
the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain;  for  the 
Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that 
taketh  his  name  in  vain."  (Ibid.,  20:7.) 
By  this  we  are  commanded  not  to  en- 
gage in  false  oaths  or  any  irrever- 
ent statement  pertaining  to  God  or  any 
of  his  attributes  or  common  swearing 
where  his  name  is  used.  Swearing  or 
cursing  is  usually  the  result  of  an  effort 
of  one  who  is  inarticulate  to  impress 
others.  Blasphemy  is  a  disgusting  habit 
which  commands  no  respect. 

The  Fourth  Commandment 

"Remember  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep 
it  holy. 

"Six  days  shalt  thou  labour,  and  do 
all  thy  work: 
"But  the  seventh  day  is  the  sabbath 


ELDER  HOWA 

of  the  Lord  thy  God:  in  it  thou  shalt 
not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son, 
nor  thy  daughter,  thy  manservant,  nor 
thy  maidservant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor 
thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates: 
"For  in  six  days  the  Lord  made 
heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that 
in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day: 
wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  sab- 
bath day,  and  hallowed  it."  (Ibid., 
20:8-11.) 

This  is  a  restatement  of  the  law  that 
existed  from  the  beginning  when  God 
rested  after  the  creation.  I  have  always 
been  interested  in  the  words  "six  days 
shalt  thou  labour."  This  appears  to 
be  as  much  a  commandment  to  work 
six  days  as  it  is  to  refrain  from  work 
on  the  seventh  day.  It  is  also  interest- 
ing to  note  that  this  fourth  command- 
ment is  addressed  "thou,  nor  thy  son, 
nor  thy  daughter,  thy  manservant,  nor 
thy  maidservant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy 
stranger."  Nothing  is  said  about  thy 
wife.  Perhaps  this  is  the  reason  that 
after  the  big  task  of  getting  the  children 
washed,  fed,  dressed,  getting  her  hus- 
band's clothes  ready,  starting  the  Sun- 
day dinner,  and  arriving  at  church 
herself  nearly  on  time,  mother  does  not 
respond  to  the  spirit  of  the  opening 
hymn,  "Welcome,  welcome,  Sabbath 
morning,  Now  we  rest  from  every 
care." 

The  Fifth  Commandment 

"Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother: 
that  thy  days  may  be  long  upon  the 
land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth 
thee."  {Ibid.,  20:12.)  Children  are  ad- 
monished to  respect  and  render  obedi- 
ence to  their  parents,  and  are  expected 
to  provide  for  them  when  disabilities 
arise  as  their  parents  did  for  them  as 
little  children. 

The  Sixth  Commandment 

"Thou  shalt  not  kill."  {Ibid.,  20:13.) 
This  commandment  is  in  reference 
to  the  unlawful  taking  of  a  human 
life.  Life  is  one  of  man's  most  precious 
earthly  possessions.  Respect  for  human 
life  has  grown  over  the  many  centuries 
which  have  passed  since  this  law  was 
presented,  and  it  probably  outranks 
all  of  the  other  nine  commandments 


3  W.  HUNTER  57 

as  the  one  which  has  been  given  the 
greatest  concern  by  mankind. 

The  Seventh  Commandment 

"Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery." 
{Ibid.,  20:14.)  The  Lord  is  concerned 
with  the  sacredness  of  marriage  and  the 
family  unit.  This  is  not  mere  advice, 
but  a  clear,  concise,  terse  command- 
ment given  to  apply  to  both  men  and 
women  equally. 

The  Eighth  Commandment 

"Thou  shalt  not  steal."  {Ibid., 
20:15.)  This  commandment  adds  the 
sacredness  of  property  to  those  con- 
cerning the  sacredness  of  life  and  the 
sacredness  of  the  family.  This  is 
the  basic  commandment  on  which  the 
idea  of  private  property  rests.  This 
is  a  prohibition  against  theft,  robbery, 
burglary,  taking  an  unfair  advantage 
as  a  buyer  or  a  seller,  or  any  wrongful 
act  by  which  one  acquires  that  which 
is  not  rightfully  his.  It  has  been  said 
that  man  has  a  possessive  instinct,  but 
his  ability  to  possess  has  its  limits.  For 
this  reason  the  stars  still  are  in  their 
ancient  places  only  because  they  are 
out  of  the  reach  of  predatory  human 
hands.  In  view  of  the  present  contest 
to  control  space,  we  are  not  sure  of 
the  future  results. 

The  Ninth  Commandment 

"Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness 
against  thy  neighbour."  {Ibid.,  20:16.) 
Primarily  this  commandment  has  refer- 
ence to  false  testimony  in  judicial  pro- 
ceedings, but  it  is  extended  to  cover  all 
statements  which  are  false  in  fact. 
Any  untruth  which  tends  to  injure 
another  in  his  goods,  person,  or  charac- 
ter is  against  the  spirit  and  letter  of 
this  law.  Suppression  of  the  truth 
which  results  in  the  same  injury  is 
also  a  violation  of  this  commandment. 

The  Tenth  Commandment 

"Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neigh- 
bour's house,  thou  shalt  not  covet  thy 
neighbour's  wife,  nor  his  manservant, 
nor  his  maidservant,  nor  his  ox,  nor 
his  ass,  nor  any  thing  that  is  thy 
neighbour's."  {Ibid.,  20:17.)  To  covet 


58  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

means  to  desire,  to  long  for,  to  crave 
that  which  belongs  to  another  person. 
The  desire  to  acquire  good  things  is 
not  a  violation,  but  the  desire  to  take 
them  away  from  another  unlawfully  is 
a  wrong.  In  this  respect  it  is  well  for 
us  to  understand  that  good  or  evil  com- 
mences not  when  the  act  occurs,  but 
when  one  sets  his  heart  upon  a  thing. 

The  Decalogue  or  the  ten  laws  were 
inscribed  on  two  tablets  of  stone.  Just 
how  they  were  arranged  is  not  known, 
but  most  students  divide  them  into  two 
sets.  The  first  division  consists  of  those 
laws  which  ara  concerned  with  man's 
relation  to  God.  These  are:  no  other 
gods,  no  graven  images,  no  blasphemy, 
and  keep  the  Sabbath.  Some  have  in- 
cluded honor  thy  parents,  while  others 
have  put  this  in  the  category  of  the 
last  five,  which  are  the  laws  encompass- 
ing a  system  of  moral  duties  to  others 
— thou  shalt  not  kill,  commit  adultery, 
steal,  bear  false  witness,  or  covet. 

Duty  to  God  and  Neighbor 

Apparently  the  Savior  had  these  two 
groups  of  laws  in  mind,  the  first  de- 
fining man's  duty  to  God  and  the 
second  providing  for  a  duty  to  neigh- 
bors, when  the  lawyer  asked  him: 
"Master,  which  is  the  great  command- 
ment in  the  law? 

"Jesus  said  unto  him,  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
all  thy  mind. 

"This  is  the  first  and  great  com- 
mandment. 

"And  the  second  is  like  unto  it, 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thy- 
self. 

"On  these  two  commandments  hang 
all  the  law  and  the  prophets."  (Matt. 
22:36-40.) 

This  clear,  concise,  unmistakable  re- 
statement of  the  Decalogue  reduces  the 
ten  laws,  the  "thou  shalt  nots,"  as 
they  are  often  called,  to  two  simple 
admonitions  containing  the  element  of 
love — love  the  Lord  and  love  thy 
neighbor. 

He  loves  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart 
who  loves  nothing  in  comparison  of 
him,  and  nothing  but  in  reference  to 
him,  who  is  ready  to  give  up,  do,  or 
suffer  anything  in  order  to  please  and 


Second  Day 

glorify  him.  He  loves  God  with  all  his 
soul,  or  rather  with  all  his  life,  who 
is  ready  to  give  up  life  for  his  sake  and 
to  be  deprived  of  the  comforts  of  the 
world  to  glorify  him.  He  loves  God 
with  all  his  strength  who  exerts  all  the 
powers  of  his  body  and  soul  in  the 
service  of  God.  He  loves  God  with 
all  his  mind  who  applies  himself  only 
to  know  God  and  his  will,  who  sees 
God  in  all  things  and  acknowledges 
him  in  all  ways. 

The  love  of  our  neighbor  springs 
from  the  love  of  God  as  its  source,  and 
the  love  of  God  is  found  in  the  love 
of  our  neighbor. 

The  Basis  of  Laws  for  Men 

This  is  the  teaching  of  the  Savior. 
How  happy  the  children  of  the  earth 
would  be  if  these  two  simple  precepts, 
which  encompass  the  law  given  to 
Israel,  could  be  observed.  Hundreds  of 
thousands  of  laws,  statutes,  and  codifi- 
cations of  laws  have  been  written  by 
man  in  an  effort  to  spell  out  man's 
rights  and  duties  in  society,  most  of 
which  fall  within  the  meaning  of  the 
simple  statement  of  the  Lord,  "Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbour.  .  .  ." 

As  one  reads  of  the  wanderings  of 
the  Israelites  in  their  quest  for  the 
promised  land,  this  query  comes  to 
mind:  Why  did  they  not  understand 
and  follow  the  prophet  of  the  Lord? 
As  we  think  of  the  progress  of  man 
over  the  centuries  which  have  followed 
and  the  great  scientific  achievements 
he  has  wrought,  we  marvel  at  the  ad- 
vance. But  has  man  really  achieved  in 
living  the  simple  commandments  to 
love  his  neighbor  and  to  love  the  Lord? 
Are  we  still  wandering  in  the  barren 
Sinai  wilderness? 

I  humbly  witness  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  True  and  Living 
God.  Through  his  Church  established 
in  these  latter  days,  the  gospel  as 
restored  in  this  dispensation  and  the 
power  of  the  priesthood  can  come  the 
help  needed  by  those  who  wander,  to 
rise  above  the  worldly  level  and  live 
the  law  of  the  Lord.  This  is  our  invita- 
tion to  truth  seekers  everywhere.  I 
pray  that  his  Spirit  may  be  with  us 
and  give  us  the  desire  and  ability  to 
live  his  laws,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 


PRESIDENT  HI 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

Elder  Howard  W.  Hunter  of  the 
Twelve  has  been  our  concluding 
speaker. 

The  Brigham  Young  University 
Combined  Choruses  will  now  sing, 
"Hallelujah  Chorus,"  from  the  "Mt.  of 
Olives"  by  Beethoven,  conducted  by 
Maughan  McMurdie,  with  Frank  W. 
Asper  at  the  Organ. 

Again  we  wish  to  express  our  ap- 
preciation to  these  well  trained  and 
talented  students  coming  here  and  for 
their  beautiful  singing  this  morning. 


3H  B.  BROWN  59 

The  benediction  will  be  offered  by 
Elder  Elmer  Ray  Moon,  president  of 
the  Duchesne  Stake,  after  which  this 
conference  will  be  adjourned  until  2 
o'clock  this  afternoon. 

The  Brigham  Young  University 
Combined  Choruses  sang  the  Halle- 
lujah Chorus"  (From  the  "Mount  of 
Olives,"  by  Beethoven) 

President  Elmer  Ray  Moon,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Duchesne  Stake,  offered  the 
benediction. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2:00 
p.  m. 


SECOND  DAY 


AFTERNOON  MEETING 


The  Conference  reconvened  at  2:00 
p.  m.,  Monday,  April  5th  at  2  o'clock 
p.  m.,  with  President  David  O.  McKay 
presiding  and  President  Hugh  B. 
Brown,  Second  Counselor  in  the  First 
Presidency,  conducting.  (President 
McKay,  at  the  persuasion  of  his  physi- 
cian, remained  in  his  apartment  for 
this  session,  where  he  watched  and 
listened  to  the  services  by  means  of 
television). 

The  Brigham  Young  University 
Combined  Choruses,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Ralph  Woodward,  furnished 
the  choral  music  for  this  session.  Elder 
Roy  M.  Darley,  Tabernacle  Organist, 
was  at  the  console. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

President  McKay's  physicians  have 
persuaded  him  that  it  would  be  un- 
wise for  him  to  be  present  this  after- 
noon. He  has  asked  that  I  conduct 
this  service.  We  shall  proceed  under 
his  presidency  and  direction. 

For  the  information  of  those  who  are 
tuned  in  by  radio  and  television,  we 
are  pleased  to  announce  that  we  are 
assembled  in  the  historic  tabernacle  on 
Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City  in 
the  fourth  session  of  the  135th  Annual 
Conference  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  The  ses- 
sions of  this  conference  will  be  broad- 
cast as  a  public  service  over  television 


and  radio  stations  throughout  the  west. 
The  names  of  these  stations  have  al- 
ready been  announced.  We  appreciate 
their  cooperation.  Both  of  the  sessions 
today  will  be  re-broadcast  over  KSL 
radio  Tuesday  morning  starting  at  1 
o'clock. 

The  singing  for  this  afternoon's  ses- 
sion will  be  furnished  by  the  Brigham 
Young  University  Combined  Choruses 
conducted  by  Ralph  Woodward, 
Brother  Roy  M.  Darley  at  the  organ. 

We  shall  begin  these  services  by  the 
chorus  singing,  "Spirit  Divine  Attend 
Our  Prayer,"  conducted  by  Brother 
Woodward.  The  invocation  will  then 
be  offered  by  Cecil  I.  Burningham, 
president  of  the  San  Diego  South  Stake. 


Singing  by  the  Combined  Choruses, 
"Spirit  Divine,  Attend  our  Prayer." 

Elder  Cecil  I.  Burningham,  President 
of  the  San  Diego  South  Stake,  offered 
the  invocation. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

The  invocation  was  just  offered  by 
President  Cecil  I.  Burningham  of  San 
Diego  South  Stake. 

We  have  received  many  telegrams 
telling  us  of  the  reception  in  various 
parts  of  the  world.  We  have  not  time 
to  refer  to  all  of  them.  There  is  one  I 
should  like  to  mention,  just  received. 
It  comes  from  Holland.  "The  mora- 


60 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

ing  session  perfectly  received.  Love, 
Brother  Carroll  Schoulters." 

In  announcing  the  donors  of  these 
lovely  flowers  a  time  or  two  during  the 
conference,  we  neglected  to  announce 
that  the  two  beautiful  vases  that  are 
on  the  left  and  right  of  the  pulpit 
were  arranged  and  presented  by  the 
Hopi  Indians,  at  Polacca,  Arizona.  We 
want  them  to  know  how  much  we  ap- 
preciate, not  only  their  thoughtfulness 
and  their  loyalty,  but  we  appreciate 
the  artistry  as  we  note  it  in  the  way 
they  have  arranged  these  lovely  flowers. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 

The  choruses  will  now  favor  us  with 
"All  Creatures  Of  Our  God  and  King." 


Selection  by  the  Combined  Choruses, 
"All  Creatures  of  Our  God  and  King." 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Spencer  W.  Kimball  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  be  our 
first  speaker  this  afternoon.  He  will 
be  followed  by  Elder  Victor  L.  Brown 
of  the  Presiding  Bishopric. 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  beloved  brothers  and  sisters  and 
friends:  From  the  impressive  keynote 
talk  of  President  McKay,  nearly  every 
speaker  has  dwelt  on  the  home  and 
human  behavior  in  total  or  in  part 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  no  one  knew 
what  others  were  speaking  about.  This 
would  point  out  to  me  that  there  is 
a  great  universal  problem  and  that  the 
Lord  is  inspiring  his  servants  to  warn 
the  world  before  the  whirlwind  strikes. 

We  were  driving  north  on  an  Okla- 
homa highway  and  noted  the  after- 
noon sun  going  put  of  sight  behind  the 
clouds.  The  grayness  got  deeper  and 
more  ominous.  We  said,  "It  looks  like 
a  storm  brewing."  As  darkness  in- 
creased and  the  winds  began  to  howl, 
we  said,  "This  storm  will  be  violent." 
As  it  broke  with  all  its  hellish  fury, 
we  said,  "This  rain  and  wind  have 
become  a  raging  whirlwind." 

Turbulent  Times 

These  are  turbulent  times.  The  news- 
papers give  front  page  to  ever-increas- 
ing acts  of  violence,  and  magazines 
devote  pages  to  the  growing  menace. 
Such  stories  are  revolting  in  their 
worldliness  and  debauchery — remind- 
ing us  that  there  shall  be  a  day  of 
reckoning,  as  the  prophet  said: 

"If  my  people  shall  sow  filthiness 
they  shall  reap  the  chaff  thereof  in  the 
whirlwind;  .  .  ."  (Mosiah  7:30.) 

Insubordination  reigns.  Students  re- 
bel against  restraints  and  limitations, 


demanding  so-called  freedoms  in  sex 
and  social  life.  Youth,  seemingly  un- 
afraid of  law-enforcement  officers, 
public  opinion,  or  punishment,  run 
wild.  There  seems  to  be  an  ever-in- 
creasing upsurge  of  rebellion  in  adults 
and  youth.  Vandalism  continues  in 
open  defiance  of  officers  with  ever- 
increasing  acts  of  violence. 

The  Prophet  Nephi  looked  forward 
to  these  last  days  and  made  some 
remarkable  predictions: 

"For  behold,  at  that  day  shall  he 
[Satan]  rage  in  the  hearts  of  the  chil- 
dren of  men,  and  stir  them  up  to  anger 
against  that  which  is  good. 

".  .  .  and  thus  the  devil  cheateth 
their  souls,  and  leadeth  them  away 
carefully  down  to  hell."  (2  Nephi 
28:20-21.) 

Then,  he  warns:  ".  .  .  wo  unto  all 
those  who  tremble,  and  are  angry  be- 
cause of  the  truth  of  God!"  (Ibid., 
28:28.) 

Can  Be  Arrested 

Can  it  be  arrested?  Can  we  turn  the 
tide  and  bring  back  decency  and  order 
out  of  chaos?  The  answer  is  yes — a 
positive,  stentorian  yes.  But  the  solu- 
tion is  not  easy.  If  it  could  be  solved 
with  money,  people  would  tax  them- 
selves to  curb  it.  If  penal  or  correction- 
al institutions  would  suffice,  a  great 
building  program  would  be  initiated. 
If  additional  social  workers  could  pre- 
vail, universities  would  add  courses 


ELDER  SPENC1 

in  social  work.  If  courts  and  judges, 
attorneys  and  policemen,  prisons  and 
penitentiaries  could  stop  the  onrush 
of  delinquency,  such  institutions  would 
be  dotted  over  all  the  land.  But  such 
are  not  cures  for  the  malady.  They  but 
salve  it  over  temporarily  and  effect 
no  permanent  cure. 

The  Lord  has  given  us  a  plan  so 
simple,  so  costless.  It  requires  a  change 
of  attitudes  and  a  transformation  of 
lives.  But  the  answer  has  always  been 
here  though  ignored  by  the  masses  be- 
cause it  requires  that  sacrifice  and 
dedication  which  men  are  reluctant  to 
give. 

The  scriptures  outline  this  effective 
program: 

"Therefore  shall  a  man  leave  his 
father  and  his  mother,  and  shall  cleave 
unto  his  wife,  and  they  shall  be  one 
flesh."  (Abr.  5:18.) 

".  .  .  thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neigh- 
bor's wife;  nor  seek  thy  neighbor's  life." 
(D&C  19:25.) 

".  .  .  attend  to  all  family  duties." 
(Ibid.,  20:47.) 

Bring  up  your  children  ".  .  .  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 
(Eph.  6:4.) 

In  1833  the  Lord  warned  through 
his  prophet: 

"And  that  wicked  one  cometh  and 
taketh  away  light  and  truth,  through 
disobedience,  from  the  children  of 
men  and  because  of  the  tradition  of 
their  fathers."  (D&C  93:39.) 

And  then  he  offered  the  solution: 

"But  I  have  commanded  you  to  bring 
up  your  children  in  light  and  truth." 
(Ibid.,  93:40.) 

The  spirit  of  the  times  is  worldliness. 
Hoodlumism  is  on  the  warpath.  Sup- 
posedly good  youth  from  recognized 
good  families  express  their  revolt  in 
destructive  acts.  Many  defy  and  resist 
the  law-enforcing  officers.  Respect  for 
authority — secular,  religious,  political 
— seems  to  be  at  a  low  ebb.  Immoral- 
ity, drug  addiction,  general  moral  and 
spiritual  deterioration  seem  to  be  in- 
creasing, and  the  world  is  in  turmoil. 
But  the  Lord  has  offered  an  old  pro- 
gram in  new  dress,  and  it  gives  promise 
to  return  the  world  to  sane  living,  to 
true  family  life,  to  family  interdepen- 
dence. It  is  to  return  the  father  to  his 
rightful  place   at   the  head  of  the 


I  W.  KIMBALL  61 

family,  to  bring  mother  home  from 
social  life  and  employment,  the  chil- 
dren from  near-total  fun  and  frolic. 
The  Home  Teaching  Program  with  its 
crowning  activity,  the  Family  Home 
Evening,  will  neutralize  the  ill  effects 
if  people  will  only  apply  the  remedy. 

An  early  American  prophet  said: 

"I,  Nephi,  having  been  born  of 
goodly  parents,  therefore  I  was  taught 
somewhat  in  all  the  learning  of  my 
father;  .  .  .  yea,  having  had  a  great 
knowledge  of  the  goodness  and  the 
mysteries  of  God,  therefore  I  make  a 
record  .  .  .  ."  (1  Nephi  1:1.) 

This  young  historian  was  large  in 
stature,  large  in  understanding,  large  in 
desire,  and  mighty  in  power  and 
righteousness. 

His  great  desire  was  to  know  the 
will  of  God,  the  purpose  of  life,  and 
to  persuade  men  to  come  to  Christ. 

He  declared: 

"...  I  did  believe  all  the  words 
which  had  been  spoken  by  my  father; 
. .  ."  (Ibid.,  2:16.) 

Fathers  Respected 

In  the  divine  scheme  every  soul  has 
been  given  a  father  whose  responsi- 
bility is  not  only  to  sire  and  provide 
the  necessities  of  life,  but  also  to 
train  for  mortality  and  life  eternal. 

Undoubtedly  Sariah  cooperated  with 
Lehi,  but  it  was  the  father  who  called 
his  family  together  to  teach  them 
righteousness. 

The  teaching  of  the  children  by 
the  fathers  is  basic  from  the  beginning. 
The  Lord  ordained  it  so. 

Though  Enos  had  strayed  for  a 
time,  the  teachings  of  his  father  pre- 
vailed, and  he  returned  to  worthiness. 

Enos  begins  his  part  of  the  record 
as  follows: 

".  . .  I,  Enos,  knowing  my  father  that 
he  was  a  just  man — for  he  taught 
me  ...  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord — and  blessed  be  the  name 
of  my  God  for  it — 

"And  I  will  tell  you  of  the  wrestle 
which  I  had  before  God,  before  I  re- 
ceived a  remission  of  my  sins. 

"Behold,  I  went  to  hunt  beasts  in 
the  forests;  and  the  words  which  I  had 
often  heard  my  father  speak  concern- 
ing eternal  life,  and  the  joy  of  the 


62  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

saints,  sunk  deep  into  my  heart." 
(Enos  1-3.) 

It  is  apparent  that  Enos  received  his 
greatest  inspiration  and  training  from 
his  own  faithful  father.  And  the  teach- 
ings were  frequent  and  powerful  con- 
cerning eternal  life. 

He  was  deeply  impressed,  for  he  said 
these  teachings  from  his  own  father 
sank  into  his  heart — so  deep,  so  im- 
pressive, that  now,  as  conviction  of  his 
errors  pressed  down  upon  him,  he  was 
ready  to  pay  a  heavy  price  for  forgive- 
ness. 

The  supplication  of  Enos  is  written 
with  a  pen  of  anguish  and  on  the  paper 
of  faith  and  with  a  willingness  to 
prostrate  himself  totally  that  he  might 
receive  forgiveness.  His  words  are 
mighty  and  definitive.  He  could  have 
said  merely,  "I  wanted  information." 
But  he  said,  ".  .  .  my  soul  hungered. 
.  .  ."  (Ibid.,  4.)  He  could  have  merely 
prayed  unto  the  Lord  like  so  many 
pray,  but  in  his  eagerness  for  forgive- 
ness, he  said,  "...  I  kneeled  down 
before  my  Maker,  and  I  cried  unto  him 
in  mighty  prayer  and  supplication  for 
mine  own  soul;  .  .  ."  (Idem.) 

How  impressive  his  words!  "Mighty 
prayer  and  supplication"  is  not  the 
usual  prayer.  The  Lord's  agonies  in 
Gethsemane,  so  long,  so  earnest,  were 
mighty  prayers. 

Enos  wept  out  his  pleadings  "And 
.  .  .  said:  Lord,  how  is  it  done?"  (Ibid., 
7.) 

And  the  answer  came:  ".  .  .  Because 
of  thy  faith  in  Christ,  whom  thou  hast 
never  before  heard  nor  seen.  And 
many  years  pass  away  before  he  shall 
manifest  himself  in  the  flesh;  .  .  ." 
(Ibid.,  8.) 

What  faith!  And  what  was  the 
source  of  this  great  sureness  except 
from  home  and  parents? 

Home  Evening  Programs 

This  was  somewhat  comparable  to 
home  evenings.  He  said: 

"...  I  had  often  heard  my  father 
speak  concerning  eternal  life,  and  the 
joy  of  the  saints.  .  .  ."  (Ibid.,  3.) 

In  this  inspired  program  the  parents, 
and  especially  the  father,  will  teach 
the  children.  And  it  is  available  to  the 
people  of  the  world  regardless  to  what 


Second  Day 

church  they  may  belong.  It  provides  a 
formal  meeting  and  a  planned  pro- 
gram and  consistent  teaching  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ  with  participation  in 
the  reading  of  the  scriptures  and  in  the 
program  by  the  children  and  parents. 
Each  child  has  his  own  scriptures.  The 
organizational  teachings  may  comple- 
ment the  home  teaching. 

The  scriptures  indicate  that  Jacob 
may  have  had  the  equivalent  of  home 
evenings,  for  it  is  recorded: 

"Then  Jacob  said  unto  his  house- 
hold, and  to  all  that  were  with  him, 
Put  away  the  strange  gods  .  .  .  and  be 
clean,  and  change  your  garments:" 
(Gen.  35:2.) 

King  Benjamin  from  his  elevated 
platform  appealed  to  the  parents:  "And 
ye  will  not  suffer  your  children  that 
they  go  hungry,  or  naked;  neither  will 
ye  suffer  that  they  transgress  the  laws 
of  God,  and  fight  and  quarrel  one  with 
another,  and  serve  the  devil,  who  is 
the  master  of  sin,  .  .  . 

"But  ye  will  teach  them  to  walk  in 
the  ways  of  truth  and  soberness;  ye 
will  teach  them  to  love  one  another, 
and  to  serve  one  another."  (Mosiah 
4:14-15.) 

Isaiah  follows  with  a  plea  and  a 
command  and  a  promise: 

"And  all  thy  children  shall  be  taught 
of  the  Lord,  and  great  shall  be  the 
peace  of  thy  children."  (Isa.  54:13.) 

In  the  command  of  Moses  to  the 
wanderers  certainly  there  were  the  ele- 
ments of  home  teaching. 

"And  these  words  .  .  .  shall  be  in 
thine  heart: 

"And  thou  shalt  teach  them  dili- 
gently unto  thy  children,  and  shalt 
talk  of  them  when  thou  sittest  in 
thine  house,  and  when  thou  walkest 
by  the  way,  and  when  thou  liest  down, 
and  when  thou  risest  up."  (Deut.  6:6- 


"Put  father  back  at  the  head  of  the 
family" 

Certainly  here  was  family  worship. 
Then  I  remembered  the  forceful  ad- 
dress of  President  Stephen  L  Richards 
several  years  ago  when  he  called  upon 
all  men  to  come  home  and  assume  their 
rightful  place  as  the  head  of  the  family. 

May   I  quote  from   his  eloquent 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 


63 


sermon:  "Termites  are  permeating  the 
foundation  of  the  kingdom — the  homes 
of  the  people — even  more  destructive 
and  elusive  than  those  semi- 
microscopic  little  animals  that  break 
down  our  walls."  (April  1958  general 
conference;  The  Improvement  Era  61: 
409.) 

He  quoted  from  a  then-current 
magazine  article  wherein  the  eminent 
judge-author  gave  a  nine-word  cure 
for  juvenile  delinquency.  With  twenty- 
one  years  of  his  life  a  criminal  lawyer 
and  sixteen  years  a  judge  in  the  crimi- 
nal court,  he  was  a  recognized  author- 
ity. The  challenging  nine  words  were: 

"Put  father  back  at  the  head  of  the 
family."  Ahl  This  is  the  foundation 
of  true  family  life.  The  article  revealed 
that  criminal  offenders  under  eighteen 
years  of  age  in  Italy,  France,  Belgium, 
Germany,  and  Britain  were  responsible 
for  from  2  percent  to  16  percent  of 
sex  crimes  as  compared  with  35  per- 
cent for  the  United  States. 

The  judge  concluded  that  the  pri- 
mary reason  for  the  reduced  percent- 
ages of  juvenile  delinquency  in  the 
European  countries  was  respect  for 
authority,  especially  for  authority  in 
the  home,  which  normally  reposes  in 
the  father  as  head  of  the  family.  (April 
1958  general  conference.) 

President  Richards  explained  the 
concepts  of  home,  fatherhood,  and 
motherhood,  and  stated  this  Church 
has  always  taught  this  exalted  concept 
of  putting  and  keeping  father  at  the 
head.  A  pity  he  did  not  live  to  see  this 
divine  Church  embark  on  this  chal- 
lenging, newly  emphasized  program  of 
Family  Home  Evening,  transforming 
houses  into  homes  and  homes  into 
heavens. 

One  of  the  most  provocative  and  pro- 
found statements  in  holy  writ  is  that 
of  Paul  wherein  he  directs  husbands 
and  wives  in  their  duty  to  each  other 
and  to  family.  First,  he  commands  the 
women: 

"Wives,  submit  yourselves  unto  your 
own  husbands,  as  unto  the  Lord. 

"For  the  husband  is  the  head  of  the 
wife,  even  as  Christ  is  the  head  of 
the  church:  and  he  is  the  saviour  of  the 
body. 

"Therefore  as  the  church  is  subject 
unto  Christ,  so  let  the  wives  be  to  their 


own  husbands  in  every  thing."  (Eph. 
5:22-24.) 

This  is  no  idle  jest,  no  facetious 
matter.  Much  is  said  in  those  few 
words. 

Paul  says,  "as  unto  the  Lord." 

A  woman  would  have  no  fears  of 
being  imposed  upon  nor  of  any  dicta- 
torial measures  nor  of  any  improper 
demands  if  the  husband  is  self-sacri- 
ficing and  worthy.  Certainly  no  sane 
woman  would  hesitate  to  give  sub- 
mission to  her  own  really  righteous 
husband  in  everything.  We  are  some- 
times shocked  to  see  the  wife  take  over 
the  leadership,  naming  the  one  to  pray, 
the  place  to  be,  the  things  to  do. 

Husbands  are  commanded:  ". .  .  love 
your  wives,  even  as  Christ  also  loved 
the  church,  and  gave  himself  for  it;" 
(Ibid.,  5:25.) 

Here  is  the  answer:  Christ  loved 
the  Church  and  its  people  so  much 
that  he  voluntarily  endured  persecu- 
tion for  them,  suffered  humiliating 
indignities  for  them,  stoically  withstood 
pain  and  physical  abuse  for  them,  and 
finally  gave  his  precious  life  for  them. 

When  the  husband  is  ready  to  treat 
his  household  in  that  manner,  not  only 
the  wife,  but  also  all  the  family  will 
respond  to  his  leadership. 

Certainly,  if  fathers  are  to  be  re- 
spected, they  must  merit  respect;  if 
they  are  to  be  loved,  they  must  be  con- 
sistent, lovable,  understanding,  and 
kind,  and  must  honor  their  priesthood. 

President  Richards  further  states: 
"[Their  wives]  know  that  that  priest- 
hood has  true  virtue  within  it — the 
power  to  bless,  the  power  to  heal,  the 
power  to  counsel,  to  make  peace  and 
harmony  prevail." 

What  great  incentives  the  mother 
has  to  honor  and  build  up  her  worthy 
husband  in  the  esteem  of  the  offspring 
when  she  knows  that  this  contributes 
to  the  well-adjusted  lives  of  her  chil- 
dren. And  what  a  great  incentive  the 
father  has  for  rising  to  his  tallest 
stature  to  merit  the  love  and  respect  of 
all  members  of  his  family! 

And  so,  we  plead  with  the  fathers  to 
return  to  their  little  kingdoms  and  with 
kindness,  justice,  proper  discipline  to 
inspire;  and  we  appeal  to  the  mother 
to  help  to  create  that  happy  family 
relationship. 


64  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  J965 

In  the  great  Home  Teaching  Pro- 
gram and  Family  Home  Evenings,  the 
responsibilities  lie  first  and  properly 
on  the  head  of  the  father.  The  wife 
will  assist.  What  true  father  would 
shirk  this  great  privilege?  What  father 
would  shift  the  planning,  organizing, 
conducting  such  family  programs? 
What  dutiful  father  would  evade  this 
teaching,  opportunity,  and  responsi- 
bility? 

Nephi  credited  his  father  with  his 
training  as  did  Enos.  It  was  the  words 
which  he  had  often  heard  his  father 
speak  which  stirred  him  to  a  soul- 
hungering  which  brought  him  back 
to  spiritual  health  and  landed  him  on 
his  knees  for  an  all-day,  all-night  com- 
munication with  his  Maker. 

It  would  appear  from  the  scriptures 
that  it  was  Jacob  who  trained  his 
household  and  gave  them  their  bless- 
ings. 

Now  let  us  see  the  other  side.  The 
scriptures  condemn  men  and  women 
when  they  fail  to  do  their  duty. 

The  Lord  punished  the  temple- 
worker  Eli,  charging  him  with  the 
serious  sins  of  his  sons. 

And  the  Lord  whispered  through 
Samuel:  "...  I  will  perform  against 
Eli  all  things  which  I  have  spoken 
concerning  his  house.  .  .  . 

".  .  .  because  his  sons  made  them- 
selves vile,  and  he  restrained  them 
not."  (1  Sam.  3:12-13.) 

In  modern  times  the  Lord  said: 
"Now,  I,  the  Lord,  am  not  well  pleased 
with  the  inhabitants  of  Zion,  for  there 
are  idlers  among  them;  and  their  chil- 
dren are  also  growing  up  in  wicked- 
ness; .  .  ."  (D&G  68:31.) 

To  Frederick  G.  Williams,  he  said: 

".  .  .  you  have  continued  under  this 
condemnation; 

"You  have  not  taught  your  children 
light  and  truth,  .  .  .  and  that  wicked 
one  hath  power,  as  yet,  over  you,  and 
this  is  the  cause  of  your  affliction. 

".  .  .  if  you  will  be  delivered  you 
shall  set  in  order  your  own  house,  for 
there  are  many  things  that  are  not 
right  in  your  house."  (Ibid.,  93:41-43.) 

Turning  to  Sidney  Rigdon,  the  Lord 
charged:  "Verily,  I  say  unto  my  servant 
Sidney  Rigdon,  that  in  some  things  he 
hath  not  kept  the  commandments  con- 
cerning his  children;  therefore,  first  set 


Second  Day 

in  order  thy  house."  (Ibid.,  93:44.) 

And  then  the  Lord  said:  "What  I 
say  unto  one  I  say  unto  all;  pray  al- 
ways lest  that  wicked  one  have  power 
in  you,  and  remove  you  out  of  your 
place."  (Ibid.,  93:49.) 

Teach  the  Children 

How  sad  if  the  Lord  should  charge 
any  of  us  parents  with  having  failed 
to  teach  our  children.  Truly  a  tremen- 
dous responsibility  falls  upon  a  couple 
when  they  bring  children  into  the 
world.  Not  only  food,  clothes,  shelter 
are  required  for  them  but  loving,  kindly 
disciplining  and  teaching. 

I  wonder  what  this  world  would  be 
like  if  every  father  and  mother  gath- 
ered their  children  around  them  at 
least  once  a  week,  explained  the  gos- 
pel, and  bore  fervent  testimonies  to 
them.  How  could  immorality  continue 
and  infidelity  break  families  and  de- 
linquency spawn?  Divorce  would  re- 
duce and  such  courts  would  close. 
Most  ills  of  life  are  due  to  failure  of 
parents  to  teach  their  children  and  the 
failure  of  posterity  to  obey. 

Of  course,  there  are  a  few  disobedi- 
ent souls  regardless  of  training  and 
teaching,  but  the  great  majority  of 
children  would  respond  to  such  pa- 
rental guidance. 

And  then,  I  think:  Had  Israel's 
fathers  and  mothers  done  their  full 
duty  to  their  children,  would  Pales- 
tinian forests  have  vanished,  their  hills 
been  denuded?  Would  they  have  been 
slain  by  their  enemies,  the  sword  run- 
ning through  their  land?  Would  their 
power  have  been  broken,  their  heaven 
made  as  iron,  their  earth  as  brass? 
Would  hunger  have  stalked  the  land? 
Would  mothers  have  devoured  their 
children?  Would  the  people  have 
again  been  taken  in  bondage? 

Had  every  father  in  Babylon,  assisted 
by  the  mother,  taught  and  trained 
little  ones  in  the  nurture  and  admoni- 
tion of  the  Lord,  would  that  great  city 
have  been  covered  with  sand  and  its 
corruption  buried  in  the  earth,  its 
springs  dried  up,  its  temples  toppled? 
Would  drunken  revelry  have  lulled 
them  to  an  unawareness  of  their  dan- 
ger? Would  palms  and  willows  wither 
and  would  lands  be  dried  and  desolate? 


BISHOP  VICTOR  L.  BROWN 


65 


Would  Babylon  have  become  a  hiss 
and  a  byword  and  would  the  wolf  and 
the  jackal,  the  owl  and  doleful  crea- 
tures be  its  only  inhabitants  and  the 
shepherd  and  the  Arabian  avoid  the 
haunted  place? 

Had  every  Roman  father  been  teach- 
ing his  sons  righteousness  instead  of 
war  and  every  mother  making  a  home 
for  her  children,  had  all  parents  as- 
sembled their  children  in  their  homes 
instead  of  the  circuses  and  public 
baths,  had  they  taught  them  chastity 
and  honor  and  integrity  and  cleanness, 
would  Rome  still  be  a  world  power? 
Certainly  it  was  not  the  barbarian  from 
the  north  but  the  insidious  moral  ter- 
mites within  which  destroyed  the 
Roman  world  empire. 

Had  the  parents  of  the  world  from 
Adam  down  carried  on  their  home 
teaching,  their  home  evenings,  their 
home  togetherness  and  sweet  family 
life  as  ordained  by  the  Lord,  would 
there  have  been  a  world  deluge,  a 
Tower  of  Babel,  a  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah? Would  the  streets  of  Samaria  ever 
have  been  plowed  or  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem  leveled?  Would  there  be 
oriental  and  occidental  enemies  today 
establishing  military  bases,  accumu- 
lating ammunition,  inventing  missiles, 
preparing  nuclear  weapons?  Would 
they  be  crouching  as  cats  after  mice, 
waiting  for  the  rotting  process  to  de- 
velop to  the  point  of  no  return?  Would 
increasing  delinquency  and  rebellion 
cause  them  to  wait  while  the  progress- 
ing, softening  illness  would  make  that 
death  inevitable? 

In  our  own  dispensation  the  Lord  re- 
iterated his  basic  command  to  those 
who  brought  children  into  the  world 
when  he  said: 

"And  again,  inasmuch  as  parents 
have  children  in  Zion  .  .  .  that  teach 
tiiem  not  ...  the  sin  be  upon  the 
heads  of  the  parents. 

"For  this  shall  be  a  law  unto  the 
inhabitants  of  Zion.  .  .  ."  (D&C 
68:25-26.) 


"And  they  shall  also  teach  their 
children  to  pray,  and  to  walk  uprightly 
before  the  Lord."  (Ibid.,  68:28.) 

Home  life,  home  teaching,  parental 
guidance  is  the  panacea  for  all  the 
ailments,  a  cure  for  all  diseases,  a 
remedy  for  all  problems. 

And  in  our  land,  if  the  home  teach- 
ing by  local  leaders,  crowned  by  the 
home  evenings  with  father  and  mother 
enthroned,  were  the  rule  in  Zion, 
would  not  taverns  be  closed,  and 
gambling  dens  be  boarded  up,  and  li- 
centiousness nearly  eliminated,  and 
hoodlumism  terminated,  and  jails  re- 
duced, and  penitentiaries  limited? 

Would  we  not  be  safe  to  walk  in 
dark  places  and  eliminate  locks  from 
our  doors  and  enforcement  officers 
from  our  streets  if  men  and  women  re- 
turned home? 

Oh,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  God,  the  mem- 
bers of  Christ's  Church,  the  people  of 
all  religious  affiliations,  the  people  of 
all  nations,  let  us  take  hold  of  this 
general  panacea  and  heal  our  wounds 
and  immunize  our  children  against 
evil  by  the  simple  process  of  teaching 
and  training  them  in  the  way  of  the 
Lord.  Every  father  and  mother  in 
Zion,  and  every  Catholic,  Protestant, 
Jewish,  Mohammedan,  and  all  other 
parents  have  the  same  responsibility: 
to  teach  their  children  to  pray  and 
walk  uprightly  before  the  Lord  I 

It  is  my  humble  prayer  that  this 
glorious  world  may  yet  be  a  reality, 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Spencer  W.  Kimball  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  has  just  spoken 
to  us.  Elder  Victor  L.  Brown,  second 
counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric, 
will  now  address  us  and  he  will  be 
followed  by  Boyd  K.  Packer,  Assistant 
to  the  Twelve. 


BISHOP  VICTOR  L.  BROWN 

Second  Counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric 


My  brothers  and  sisters,  as  I  sat  with 
you  this  morning,  thrilled  at  the  inspir- 


ing messages,  it  gradually  dawned  on 
me  that  the  address  I  had  prepared 


66  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  2965 

had  already  been  given.  As  I  placed  it 
in  my  desk  drawer  during  the  lunch 
hour,  I  thought  of  what  I  might  say 
should  I  be  called  upon  this  after- 
noon. Two  experiences  came  to  my 
mind,  each  having  occurred  within  the 
last  week 

Entrusted  with  a  Child  of  God 

A  week  ago  today,  Sister  Brown  and 
I  visited  with  our  son  and  his  wife, 
a  new  mother.  As  we  visited  with  our 
daughter-in-law  and  held  this  wonder- 
ful bundle  of  humanity,  which  had 
just  left  the  presence  of  our  Heavenly 
Father,  I  marveled  at  the  expression 
of  a  new  mother's  love  for  her  first- 
born. I  thrilled  at  the  excitement,  the 
joy,  and  the  wonderment  expressed  by 
this  lovely  mother  at  having  brought 
into  this  world  one  of  the  choice  spirits 
of  our  Heavenly  Father.  I  thought  how 
wonderful  it  would  be  if  she  could 
remember  all  of  her  life  that  she  has 
been  entrusted  with  a  child  of  God. 

Just  last  evening  we  called  at  our 
other  son's  home.  Not  too  many  weeks 
ago,  this  daughter-in-law  presented  us 
with  our  second  granddaughter.  This 
lovely  little  girl  has  been  with  us  just 
long  enough  to  turn  over  in  bed  and 
to  hold  her  head  up  when  held  in  our 
arms.  As  I  listened  to  the  gurgling 
laugh  and  witnessed  her  smile,  my 
heart  was  filled.  She  is  happy  because 
her  mother  loves  her.  She  knows  her 
mother  loves  her.  She  doesn't  know 
because  she  has  been  told;  she  knows 
because  of  the  way  her  mother  holds 
her,  the  way  she  talks  and  sings  to 
her,  and  the  way  she  lets  her  soul 
commune  with  the  soul  of  her  daugh- 
ter. I  couldn't  help  thinking  what  a 
wonderful  thing  it  would  be  for  both 
of  these  young  mothers  if  they  would 
always  remember  where  these  children 
came  from.  I  think  they  will,  because 
they  love  them. 

It  is  a  very  dangerous  thing  for  a 
father-in-law  to  instruct  his  daughters- 
in-law  in  the  rearing  of  their  children. 
I  have  never  ventured  into  this  field, 
and  I  suppose  this  will  be  the  last  time. 
Nevertheless,  I  would  like  to  make  one 
or  two  suggestions. 

In  every  session  of  our  conference, 
the  brethren  have  given  us  wise  coun- 
sel regarding  family  responsibilities. 


Second  Day 

I  hope  these  young  women  have  lis- 
tened to  this  advice.  If  they  will  in- 
corporate these  teachings  in  their  lives 
and  add  a  great  measure  of  love — the 
kind  of  love  in  which  these  lovely 
children  can  blossom  into  natural, 
happy,  robust,  spiritually  strong  indi- 
viduals— they  will  have  filled  a  great 
measure  of  their  responsibilities  as 
mothers. 

True  Love  Is  Unselfish 

Love  can  be  misunderstood.  Some- 
times love  becomes  possessive,  some- 
times selfish.  Of  course,  neither  is  true 
love.  True  love  is  always  unselfish. 

One  particular  story  of  a  mother 
who  loved  her  daughter  came  to  my 
attention.  She  loved  her  very  dearly. 
Her  daughter  wasn't  very  popular.  She 
didn't  have  many  friends.  She  was  a 
senior  in  high  school,  and  her  mother 
was  hurt  because  she  was  not  popular. 
In  her  desire  for  her  daughter's  popu- 
larity and  in  her  concern — and  I  sup- 
pose to  her  way  of  thinking,  in  her 
love  for  her  daughter — she  decided 
that,  having  been  at  home  all  her 
young  life,  perhaps  the  apron  strings 
had  been  a  little  too  tight,  so  they  must 
be  untied.  Consequently,  this  good 
mother  came  to  the  city  to  arrange  for 
her  daughter  to  be  enrolled  at  the 
university.  She  found  an  apartment 
near  the  school  and  rented  it.  It  was 
a  little  too  large  and  a  little  too  ex- 
pensive, but  nothing  would  be  too  good 
if  it  would  make  her  daughter  popular. 
Then  the  mother  went  to  the  school 
officials  and  asked  for  the  names  of 
the  three  most  popular  girls  at  the  uni- 
versity. The  only  qualifications  they 
needed  were  that  they  must  be  the 
most  popular  girls  at  school,  and  they 
must  have  enough  money  to  help  pay 
the  rent.  She  found  them.  They  agreed 
to  move  in  with  her  daughter.  Then 
this  mother  returned  home,  happy  in 
the  knowledge  that  finally  she  had  done 
all  that  was  necessary  for  her  lovely, 
sweet,  young  daughter  to  become  popu- 
lar. When  the  reports  started  to  come 
to  her  that  this  sweet,  young,  Latter- 
day  Saint  girl  had  begun  to  use 
tobacco,  she  couldn't  believe  it.  When 
the  reports  included  liquor,  it  was  in- 
conceivable. Why,  her  daughter  had 
been  taught  the  Word  of  Wisdom  all 


BISHOP  VICT 

her  life.  And  when  she  became  in- 
volved with  the  law,  it  almost  broke 
her  mother's  heart.  When  she  lost 
her  virtue,  it  did  break  her  mother's 
heart. 

Teach  Honesty  by  Being  Honest 

Mothers,  is  your  love  well  placed? 
Do  you  wish  for  your  daughters  some- 
thing that  you  might  have  been,  that 
you  might  have  missed  in  your  life,  or 
do  you  want  them  to  grow  to  be  fine 
Latter-day  Saints  with  a  set  of  stan- 
dards about  which  we  have  heard  so 
much  in  this  conference. 

Mothers,  is  your  love  well  placed? 
To  you,  my  daughters-in-law,  as  you 
rear  my  new  grandson  and  my  newest 
granddaughter,  I  hope  you  will  teach 
them  to  be  honest  and  truthful.  You 
cannot  teach  them  to  be  truthful 
unless  you  are  truthful.  A  national 
Scout  executive  once  made  the  com- 
ment that  one  of  the  greatest  problems 
Scout  leaders  have  is  trying  to  teach 
Boy  Scouts  to  be  honest  when  their 
parents  are  dishonest. 

Let  me  just  share  with  you  a  story 
of  a  young  boy  whose  Mexican  mother 
taught  him  to  be  honest.  I  shall  read 
it  because  if  I  were  to  tell  it,  I  would 
miss  something: 

"Today  I  saw  truth.  For  a  moment  I 
lived  and  breathed  in  the  great  pres- 
ence of  truth  and  felt  its  sweetness 
plunge  deep  into  my  soul. 

"I  am  a  coach  in  a  junior  high 
school.  I  work  with  500  boys  each  day. 
This  has  been  my  occupation  for  over 
20  years.  I  enjoy  it. 

"Traditionally,  I  am  supposed  to  be 
rugged,  tough,  crusty;  yes,  even  a  little 
severe  at  times — and  yet,  underneath 
this  exterior,  feeling  and  understanding 
must  exist  if  the  job  is  to  be  done. 

"Today  was  test  day  in  climbing  the 
rope.  We  climb  from  a  standing  start 
to  a  point  15  feet  high.  One  of  my 
tasks  these  past  few  weeks  has  been 
to  train  and  teach  the  boys  to  negotiate 
this  distance  in  as  few  seconds  as 
possible. 

"The  school  record  for  the  event 
is  2.1  seconds.  It  has  stood  for  three 
years.  Today  this  record  was  broken. 
But  this  is  not  my  story.  How  this 
record  was  broken  is  the  important 


R  L.  BROWN  67 

thing  here,  as  it  so  often  is  in  many 
an  endeavor  in  this  life. 

"For  three  years  Bobby  Polacio,  a 
14!/2-year-old  ninth  grade  Mexican 
boy,  has  trained  and  pointed  and,  I 
suspect,  dreamed  of  breaking  this 
record.  It  has  been  his  consuming  pas- 
sion; it  seemed  his  whole  life  depended 
upon  owning  this  record. 

"In  his  first  of  three  attempts,  Bobby 
climbed  the  rope  in  2.1  seconds,  tying 
the  record.  On  the  second  try  the 
watch  stopped  at  2.0  seconds  flat,  a 
record!  But  as  he  descended  the  rope 
and  the  entire  class  gathered  around 
to  check  the  watch,  I  knew  I  must  ask 
Bobby  a  question.  There  was  a  slight 
doubt  in  my  mind  whether  or  not  the 
board  at  the  15  foot  height  had  been 
touched.  If  he  missed,  it  was  so  very, 
very  close — not  more  than  a  fraction 
of  an  inch — and  only  Bobby  knew  this 
answer. 

"As  he  walked  toward  me,  expres- 
sionless, I  said,  'Bobby,  did  you  touch?' 
If  he  had  said,  'Yes,'  the  record  he  had 
dreamed  of  since  he  was  a  skinny 
seventh-grader  and  had  worked  for 
almost  daily  would  be  his,  and  he 
knew  I  would  trust  his  word. 

"With  the  class  already  cheering 
him  for  his  performance,  the  slim, 
brown-skinned  boy  shook  his  head 
negatively.  And  in  this  simple  gesture, 
I  witnessed  a  moment  of  greatness. 

"Coaches  do  not  cry.  Only  babies 
cry,  they  say.  But  as  I  reached  out  to 
pat  this  boy  on  the  shoulder,  there  was 
a  small  drop  of  water  in  each  eye.  And 
it  was  with  effort  through  a  tight 
throat  that  I  told  the  class:  'This  boy 
has  not  set  a  record  in  the  rope  climb. 
No,  he  has  set  a  much  finer  record  for 
you  and  everyone  to  strive  for.  He  has 
told  the  simple  truth.' 

"I  turned  to  Bobby  and  said,  'Bobby, 
I'm  proud  of  you.  You've  just  set  a 
record  many  athletes  never  attain. 
Now,  in  your  last  try  I  want  you  to 
jump  a  few  inches  higher  on  the  take- 
off. You're  going  to  break  this  record.' 

"After  the  other  boys  had  finished 
their  next  turns,  and  Bobby  came  up  to 
the  rope  for  his  try,  a  strange  stillness 
came  over  the  gymnasium.  Fifty  boys 
and  one  coach  were  breathlessly  set  to 
help  boost  Bobby  Polacio  to  a  new 
record.  He  climbed  the  rope  in  1.9 


68  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

seconds!  A  school  record,  a  city  record, 
and  perhaps  close  to  a  national  record 
for  a  junior  high  school  boy. 

"When  the  bell  rang  and  I  walked 
away,  now  misty-eyed,  from  this  group 
of  boys,  I  was  thinking:  'Bobby,  little 
brown  skin,  with  your  clear,  bright, 
dark  eyes  and  your  straight  trim,  lithe 
body — Bobby,  at  14  you  are  a  better 
man  than  I.  Thank  you  for  climbing 
so  very,  very  high  today.'  "  (Permission 
granted,  Boy's  Life.) 

Teach  in  Your  Homes 

To  my  wonderful  daughters-in-law, 
I  would  encourage  you  to  teach  this 
daughter  and  this  new  son  to  be 
truthful,  to  be  honest.  I  would  counsel 
you  to  have  home  evening  right  from 
this  day  forward,  even  though  these 
small  children  cannot  understand  any- 
thing that  is  said.  They  will  feel  the 
atmosphere.  They  will  understand,  and 
as  they  grow  up,  someday  they  will 
bless  your  names  for  having  taught 
them  the  gospel  in  your  homes. 

Now  in  conclusion,  may  I  read  "A 
Parable  for  Mothers." 

"A  young  mother  set  her  foot  on  the 
path  of  life.  'Is  the  way  long?'  she 
asked.  And  the  Guide  said,  'Yes,  and 
the  way  is  hard.  And  you  will  be  old 
before  you  reach  the  end  of  it.  But  the 
end  will  be  better  than  the  beginning.' 

"But  the  young  mother  was  happy, 
and  she  would  not  believe  that  any- 
thing could  be  better  than  these  years. 
So  she  played  with  her  children  and 
gathered  flowers  for  them  along  the 
way.  And  the  sun  shone  on  them,  and 
life  was  good,  and  the  young  mother 
cried,  'Nothing  will  ever  be  lovelier 
than  thisl' 

"Then  came  night,  and  storm;  and 
the  path  was  dark,  and  the  children 
shook  with  fear  and  cold.  But  the 
mother  drew  close  to  them,  and  covered 
them  with  her  mantle,  and  the  chil- 
dren said,  'We  are  not  afraid,  Mother, 
for  you  are  near;  and  no  harm  can 
come  to  us.' 

"And  the  mother  said,  'This  is  better 
than  the  brightness  of  day,  for  I  have 
taught  my  children  courage.' 

"And  the  morning  came,  and  there 


Second  Day 

was  a  hill  ahead,  and  the  children 
climbed  and  grew  weary,  and  the 
mother  was  weary.  But  at  last  she 
said  to  the  children,  'A  little  patience, 
and  we  are  there.' 

"So  the  children  climbed,  and  when 
they  reached  the  top,  they  said,  'We 
could  not  have  done  this  without  you, 
Mother.' 

"And  that  night  the  mother  looked 
up  at  the  stars,  and  said,  'This  is  a 
better  day  than  the  last,  for  my  chil- 
dren have  learned  fortitude  in  the  face 
of  hardship.  Yesterday  I  gave  them 
courage;  today  I  gave  them  strength.' 

"And  the  next  day  came  strange 
clouds  which  darkened  the  earth — 
clouds  of  war  and  hate  and  evil,  and 
the  children  groped  and  stumbled.  The 
mother  said,  'Look  up;  lift  your  eyes 
to  the  light.' 

"And  the  children  looked,  and  saw 
above  the  clouds  an  Everlasting  Light, 
and  it  guided  them,  and  brought  them 
beyond  the  darkness. 

"And  that  night  the  mother  said, 
'This  is  the  best  day  of  all,  for  I  have 
shown  my  children  God.' 

"And  the  days  went  on,  and  the 
weeks,  and  the  months,  and  the  years, 
and  the  mother  grew  aged,  and  she  was 
little  and  bent.  But  the  children  were 
tall  and  strong,  and  walked  with  cour- 
age. And  when  the  way  was  hard, 
they  lifted  her  over  the  rough  places. 
At  last  they  came  to  a  hill,  and  beyond 
the  hill  they  could  see  a  shining  road 
and  golden  gates  and  they  flung  wide. 

"And  the  mother  said,  'I  have  reached 
the  end  of  my  journey.  And  now  I 
know  that  the  end  is  better  than  the 
beginning,  for  my  children  can  walk 
alone,  and  their  children  after  them.' 

"And  the  children  said,  'You  will 
always  walk  with  us,  Mother!' 

"And  they  stood  and  watched  her 
walk  through  the  golden  gates,  and 
the  gates  closed  after  her.  And  they 
said,  'We  cannot  now  see  our  mother, 
but  she  is  with  us  still — she  is  a 
living  presence.'"  (Stepping  Stones 
magazine,  May  1946.) 

May  God  bless  all  mothers  every- 
where. May  you  teach  the  gospel  to 
your  children.  May  wisdom  garnish  the 
love  you  have,  I  humbly  pray  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


ELDER  BOYD  K.  PACKER 


69 


President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Bishop  Victor  L.  Brown  of  the  Pre- 
siding Bishopric  has  just  spoken  to  us. 

ELDER  BOYD 

Assistant  to  the  Council 

I  have  appreciated,  my  brethren  and 
sisters,  the  marvelous  counsel  given 
throughout  this  conference  to  parents 
with  regard  to  their  children.  I  wonder, 
would  you  object,  would  it  be  in  order 
if  I  ignored  you  for  the  next  few 
minutes  and  spoke  directly  to  chil- 
dren about  their  obligation  to  their 
parents? 

No  age  is  quite  so  carefree,  so  rest- 
less, so  potential  as  high  school  years. 
Notwithstanding  the  outward  turmoils 
and  nonconformity,  these  are  years 
of  quiet  inner  growth.  These  are  years 
of  silent,  restless  maturing.  And  it  is 
to  our  youth  of  high  school  years  that 
I  speak. 

Lending  Your  Treasures 

A  few  days  ago  I  visited  a  large  auto- 
mobile dealership  and  looked  at  many 
new  automobiles.  One  in  particular 
caught  my  eye — a  convertible  sports 
model  with  all  of  the  fancy  equipment 
you  could  imagine.  It  had  push-button 
everything  and  more  horsepower  than 
a  division  of  cavalry.  And  it  can  be 
purchased  for  only  $7,100.  How  I 
would  have  enjoyed  a  car  like  that 
when  I  was  in  high  school!  It  occurred 
to  me  that  you  may  be  interested  in 
owning  such  a  car. 

Do  you  have  an  imagination?  Imag- 
ine with  me  that  I  am  your  bene- 
factor; I  have  decided  to  present  to  a 
typical  teenager  a  car  such  as  this, 
and  you  are  the  one  who  has  been 
chosen.  On  the  evening  of  the  presenta- 
tion, I  see  that  you  are  not  quite 
financially  able  to  run  such  a  car,  so  I 
generously  include  free  gas,  oil,  main- 
tenance, tires,  anything  your  car  will 
use;  all  of  this,  and  the  bills  come 
to  me. 

How  you  will  enjoy  that  car!  Think 
of  driving  it  to  school  tomorrow.  Think 
of  all  the  new  friends  you  will  sud- 
denly acquire. 


Elder  Boyd  K.  Packer,  Assistant  to  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve,  will  now  speak 
to  us. 

K.  PACKER 

of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

Your  parents  may  be  hesitant  to  let 
you  use  this  car  freely,  so  I  will  visit 
with  them.  I  am  sure  they  will  be 
reluctant,  but  because  of  my  position 
as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Church, 
they  will  consent. 

Let  us  imagine,  then,  that  you  have 
your  car,  everything  to  run  it,  freedom 
to  use  it. 

Suppose  that  one  evening  you  are 
invited  to  attend  a  church  social. 
"There  are  just  enough  of  you  to  ride 
in  my  station  wagon,"  your  teacher 
says.  "You  may  leave  your  car  home." 
When  they  come  to  take  you  to  the 
party,  you  suddenly  remember  your 
new  convertible  parked  at  the  curb 
with  the  top  down.  You  hastily  go 
back  in  the  house  and  give  the  keys 
to  your  father,  asking  that  he  put  it 
in  the  garage,  for  it  looks  as  if  it  may 
rain.  Your  father,  of  course,  obediently 
agrees.  (It  is  interesting  how  obedient 
parents  have  become  these  days.) 

Later  you  come  home  and  notice 
your  car  is  not  at  the  curb.  "Dear  old 
dad,"  you  muse,  "always  willing  to 
help  out."  But  as  the  station  wagon 
pulls  into  the  driveway  and  the  lights 
flash  into  the  garage,  you  see  it  stands 
empty. 

You  rush  into  the  house,  find  father, 
and  ask  that  very  urgent  question. 

"Oh,  I  loaned  it  to  someone,"  he 
responds. 

Then  imagine,  seriously  imagine,  a 
conversation  such  as  this. 

"Well,  who  was  it?" 

"Oh,  that  boy  who  comes  by  here 
regularly." 

"What  boy?" 

"Oh,  that .  .  .  well,  I  have  seen  him 
pass  here  several  times  on  his  bicycle." 
"What  is  his  name?" 
"Well,  I'm  afraid  I  didn't  find  out." 
"Where  did  he  take  the  car?" 
"That  really  wasn't  made  clear." 
"When  will  he  bring  it  back?" 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


70 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

"Well,  there  really  wasn't  any  agree- 
ment on  that." 

Then  suppose  that  your  father  should 
say  to  you,  with  some  impatience, 
"Now  you  calm  down.  He  rushed  in 
here.  He  needed  a  car.  You  weren't 
using  it.  He  seemed  to  be  in  a  frantic 
hurry  over  something,  and  he  looked 
like  an  honest  boy  so  I  gave  him  the 
keys.  Now  relax.  Go  to  bed.  Calm 
down." 

I  suppose  under  the  circumstances 
you  would  look  at  your  father  with  that 
puzzled  expression  and  wonder  if  some 
important  connection  had  slipped 
loose  in  his  thinking  mechanism. 

It  would  take  a  foolish  father  to  lend 
such  an  expensive  piece  of  equipment 
on  an  arrangement  such  as  that — par- 
ticularly one  that  belonged  to  you. 

Parents  Lend  Their  Treasures 

I  am  sure  that  you  have  anticipated 
the  moral  of  this  little  illustration, 
you  of  high  school  age.  It  is  in  these 
years  that  dating  begins — this  custom 
of  two  sets  of  parents  lending  their 
teenagers  to  one  another  for  the  neces- 
sary and  the  important  purpose  of  their 
finding  their  way  into  maturity  and 
eventually  into  marriage.  Perhaps  for 
the  first  time  you  notice  and  you 
begin  to  resent  the  interest  of  your 
parents  in  and  their  supervision  of  your 
activities. 

Dating  leads  to  marriage.  Marriage 
is  a  satred  religious  covenant  and  in 
its  most  exalted  expression  may  be  an 
eternal  covenant.  Whatever  prepara- 
tion relates  to  marriage,  whether  it  be 
personal  or  social,  concerns  us  as  mem- 
bers of  the  Church. 

Parents  Owe  Guidance  in  Dating 

Now,  I  speak  very  plainly  to  you,  my 
young  friends.  If  you  are  old  enough  to 
date,  you  are  old  enough  to  know  that 
your  parents  have  not  only  the  right 
but  the  sacred  obligation,  and  they  are 
under  counsel  from  the  leaders  of  the 
Church  to  concern  themselves  with 
your  dating  habits. 

If  you  are  mature  enough  to  date, 
you  are  mature  enough  to  accept  with- 
out childish,  juvenile  argument  their 
authority  as  parents  to  set  rules  of 
conduct  for  you. 

No  sensible  father  would  lend  your 


Second  Day 

new  convertible  to  anybody,  to  go  any- 
where, to  do  anything,  to  come  back 
any  time. 

Some  Dating  Guide  Lines 

If  you  are  old  enough  to  date,  you 
are  old  enough  to  see  the  very  foolish- 
ness of  parents  who  would  lend  their 
children  on  any  such  an  arrangement. 
Don't  ask  your  parents  to  permit  you, 
their  most  precious  possession,  to  go 
out  on  such  flimsy  agreements. 

Actually  the  loan  of  the  car  would 
not  be  so  serious  as  you  suppose;  for 
should  it  be  completely  destroyed,  it 
could  be  replaced.  There  are  some 
problems  and  some  hazards  with  dating 
for  which  there  is  no  such  fortunate 
solution. 

How  to  Appreciate 

When  you  are  old  enough,  you  ought 
to  start  dating.  It  is  good  for  young  men 
and  young  women  to  learn  to  know 
and  to  appreciate  one  another.  It  is 
good  for  you  to  go  to  games  and  dances 
and  picnics,  to  do  all  of  the  young 
things.  We  encourage  our  young  people 
to  date.  We  encourage  you  to  set  high 
standards  of  dating. 

Group  Dating 

When  are  you  old  enough?  Maturity 
may  vary  from  individual  to  indi- 
vidual, but  we  are  rather  of  the  con- 
viction that  dating  should  not  even 
begin  until  you  are  well  into  your 
teens.  And  then,  ideal  dating  is  on  a 
group  basis.  None  of  this  steady  danc- 
ing, steady  dating  routine.  Steady  dat- 
ing is  courtship,  and  surely  the 
beginning  of  courtship  ought  to  be 
delayed  until  you  are  almost  out  of 
your  teens. 

Supervision 

Dating  should  not  be  premature.  You 
should  appreciate  your  parents  if  they 
see  to  that.  Dating  should  not  be 
without  supervision,  and  you  should 
appreciate  parents  who  see  to  that. 

Church  Guide  Lines 

Young  people  sometimes  get  the 
mistaken  notion  that  the  religious  atti- 
tude and  spirituality  interfere  with 


ELDER  BOY 

youthful  growth.  They  assume  that  the 
requirements  of  the  Church  are  inter- 
ferences and  aggravations  which  thwart 
the  full  expression  of  young  manhood 
and  young  womanhood. 

How  foolish  is  the  youth  who  feels 
that  the  Church  is  a  fence  around  love 
to  keep  him  out.  Oh,  youth,  if  you 
could  know!  The  requirements  of  the 
Church  are  the  highway  to  love  and  to 
happiness,  with  guard  rails  securely  in 
place,  with  guideposts  plainly  marked, 
and  with  help  along  the  way.  How 
unfortunate  to  resent  counsel  and  re- 
straint. How  fortunate  are  you  who 
follow  the  standards  of  the  Church, 
even  if  just  from  sheer  obedience  or 
habit.  You  will  find  a  rapture  and  a 
joy  fulfilled. 

Parents  Love  You 

Be  patient  with  your  parents.  They 
love  you  so  deeply.  They  are  emotion- 
ally involved  with  you,  and  they  may 
become  too  vigorous  as  they  set  their 
guidelines  for  you  to  follow.  But  be 
patient.  Remember,  they  are  involved 
in  a  big  do-it-yourself  child-raising 
project,  and  this  is  their  first  time 
through.  They  have  never  raised  a 
child  just  like  you  before. 

Accept  Discipline — the  Reliable 
Maturer 

Give  them  the  right  to  misunder- 
stand and  to  make  a  mistake  or  two. 
They  have  accorded  you  that  right. 
Recognize  their  authority.  Be  grateful 
for  their  discipline.  Such  discipline 
may  set  you  on  the  path  to  greatness. 

An  example  of  what  a  little  disci- 
pline can  do  is  found  in  the  comment 
President  McKay  made  at  Merthyr 
Tydfil  in  1963.  "I  was  reminded,"  he 
said,  "of  a  visit  I  made  home  when  I 
was  in  college.  Mother  was  sitting  on 
my  left,  where  she  always  sat  at  dinner, 
and  I  said,  'Mother,  I  have  found  that 
I  am  the  only  one  of  your  children 
whom  you  have  switched.'  She  said, 
'Yes,  David  O.,  I  made  such  a  failure 
of  you,  I  didn't  want  to  use  the  same 
method  on  the  other  children.' " 
(Church  News,  Sept.  7,  1963,  p.  10.) 

Be  open  with  your  parents.  Com- 
municate with  them.  Discuss  with 


K,  PACKER  71 

them  your  problems.  Have  prayer  with 
them  before  a  dating  event. 

Stay  in  group  activities.  Don't  pair 
off.  Avoid  steady  dating.  The  right 
time  to  begin  a  courtship  is  when  you 
have  emerged  from  your  teens. 

Heed  the  counsels  from  your  bishop, 
from  your  priesthood  and  auxiliary 
teachers,  from  your  seminary  teacher. 

One  further  thought.  When  we 
talked  about  my  giving  you  an  auto- 
mobile, that  was  make-believe.  First, 
of  course,  at  that  price  it  had  to  be. 
But  even  if  I  could,  while  you  are  in 
high  school,  I  wouldn't  because  I  think 
too  much  of  you.  Your  parents  would  be 
very  wise  to  know  what  car  ownership 
in  high  school  contributes  to  school 
dropout,  to  broken  hearts,  and  to 
broken  lives. 

We  have  a  son  who  is  driving  now. 
We  have  talked  about  a  car  for  him. 
(That  means  he  has  talked,  and  we 
have  listened.)  We  have  put  this  off 
by  suggesting  that  if  he  has  a  car  of  his 
own  he  must  earn  it.  If  it  looks  as 
though  he  may,  I  suppose  we  will  have 
to  pray  that  he  has  some  kind  of  de- 
pression or  another.  In  the  meantime 
we  will  try  as  parents  to  be  very  gen- 
erous with  the  use  of  the  family  car. 
We  will  try  to  see  that  he  is  not 
handicapped. 

Honor  Father  and  Mother 

Young  people,  "honour  thy  father 
and  thy  mother":  which  is  the  first 
commandment  with  a  promise,  "that 
thy  days  may  be  long  upon  the  land 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee." 
(Exod.  20:12.) 

I  bear  witness  that  God  lives.  You  are 
old  enough  now  to  be  told  that  we, 
your  parents,  are  children  also,  seek- 
ing to  follow  the  authority  and  to 
relate  to  the  discipline  of  Him.  We 
love  you,  our  youth.  But  more  than 
this,  we  respect  you.  In  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

We  have  just  listened  to  Boyd  K. 
Packer,  Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve.  The  chorus  and  congregation 
will  now  join  in  singing,  "How  Firm 
A  Foundation."  After  the  singing  Elder 


72 

Monday,  April  5,  1X5 

Alma  Sonne,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve 
will  speak  to  us. 

The  Combined  Choruses  and  the 
congregational  joined  in  singing  the 
hymn,  "How  Firm  A  Foundation." 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 


President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Alma  Sonne,  Assistant  to  the 
Twelve,  will  now  speak  to  us,  and  he 
will  be  followed  by  Elder  William  J. 
Critchlow,  Jr.,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve. 


ELDER  AO 

Assistant  to  the  Council 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  we  have 
heard  much  during  this  conference 
about  the  home  and  the  family,  and 
I  am  sure  you  all  know  that  they  are 
the  units  of  civilization.  A  nation  can 
rise  no  higher  than  its  homes. 

Bruce  Barton,  in  one  of  his  books 
entitled  On  the  Up  and  Up,  tells  about 
a  clergyman  who  had  recently  visited 
a  parish  where  he  had  labored  success- 
fully for  thirty  years.  The  old  church 
had  crumbled,  and  the  region  round 
about  had  become  a  slum.  The  fami- 
lies he  had  known  so  well  had  been 
scattered  to  the  suburbs,  and  the 
church,  of  course,  was  closed.  "What 
is  left,"  he  moaned  in  self-pity,  "to 
show  for  all  my  labor?"  He  could  not 
understand  that  everything  was  left. 
Some  of  the  people,  their  sons  and 
daughters,  were  left.  To  them  he  had 
preached  Sunday  after  Sunday.  He 
had  built  up  their  faith,  enriched  their 
lives,  and  given  them  renewed  incen- 
tives to  live  a  righteous  life. 

The  Importance  of  People  and  Their 
Regeneration 

There  is  nothing  more  important 
than  people — our  own  neighbors  and 
friends.  They  are  precious  in  the  sight 
of  God.  To  reclaim  them  from  way- 
wardness and  sin  is  our  greatest  obli- 
gation. God  loves  them,  and  amid  the 
changes  which  come  and  go,  they  still 
are  his  treasures.  I  have  concluded 
that  he  is  more  interested  in  them 
than  in  their  possessions,  like  stocks 
and  bonds,  houses  and  lands.  We  can- 
not fight  change  for  we  are  living  in 
a  changing  world.  Permanency  has 
few  guarantees.  There  are  things, 
however,  which  do  not  change.  Honor, 
like  truth,  is  not  a  composite  thing. 
It  never  changes.  It  is  the  light  which 
brightens  our  pathway.  I  suppose  all 


IA  SONNE 

of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

people  have  a  degree  of  light  within 
them.  Sometimes  it  is  very  dim;  some- 
times it  has  been  extinguished  by  evil 
thoughts  and  deeds.  The  human  mind 
is  darkened  by  the  shadows  of  earth. 
The  word  "light"  appears  many  times 
in  the  scriptures,  modern  and  ancient. 
When  it  does,  it  is  symbolic  of  truth, 
for  God's  word  is  truth. 

It  was  on  the  Master's  lips  many 
times  as  he  spoke  and  conversed  with 
people.  I  read  from  his  Sermon  on  the 
Mount: 

"Neither  do  men  light  a  candle,  and 
put  it  under  a  bushel,  but  on  a  candle- 
stick; and  it  giveth  light  unto  all  that 
are  in  the  house. 

"Let  your  light  so  shine  before 
men,  that  they  may  see  your  good 
works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which 
is  in  heaven."  (Matt.  5:15-16.) 

To  Nicodemus,  the  Jewish  ruler  who 
came  to  Jesus  at  night,  the  Savior  was 
a  little  more  explicit.  He  said,  ".  .  . 
this  is  the  condemnation,  that  light 
is  come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved 
darkness  rather  than  light,  because 
their  deeds  were  evil."  (John  3:19.) 

What  happens  when  a  light  fades 
out — when  a  man,  a  woman,  a  family, 
or  a  nation  departs  from  the  standards 
by  which  they  have  arisen  and  suc- 
ceeded? Then  all  things  go  to  decay. 
They  build  their  structures  on  sand. 
The  winds  of  adversity  blow.  The 
storms  come,  and  the  structures 
tumble.  Their  hopes,  their  aspirations, 
and  their  innermost  feelings  and 
longings  are  shattered.  Their  house  is 
left  unto  them  desolate.  It  is  the 
tragedy  of  an  irresolute  and  misspent 

life- 

Activity  in  the  Church  is  the  one 
best  safeguard;  it  is  essential  to  growth 
and  development.  Light  does  not  pene- 
trate the  dark  places  without  some 


ELDER  WILLIAM  ].  CRITCHLOW,  JR.  73 

effort  and  some  solicitation.  It  requires  fellow  men.    Your  convictions  have 

the  energy  of  individuals,  personal  deepened,  and  your  understanding  of 

contacts,  patience,  diligence,  and  the  the  gospel  has  increased;  you  have 

inspiration   of   devoted   missionaries  recognized  the  priesthood  as  the  life- 

and  teachers  to  spread  the  light  and  giving  power  of  the  Church;  you  have 

to  place  the  gospel  message  in  the  read  the  literature  of  the  Church,  in- 

hearts  of  people.  eluding  the  Book  of  Mormon;  doubt 

and  uncertainty  have  fled;  doctrines 

The  Gospel  a  Light  to  Guide  and  principles  have  been  examined 

Mankind  and  compared  with  those  taught  in 

other  churches.  You  know  the  purpose 

The  gospel  is  a  beacon  light  to  guide  and  meaning  of  mortal  life.  You  have 

humanity  through  the  journey  of  life,  answered  the  questions  which  have 

It  points  the  way.  It  inspires  unselfish  perplexed    humanity    for  centuries, 

service.  It  fills  the  soul  with  love  for  namely:  Whence  did  I  come?  Why  am 

others,  and  it  is  the  pure,  primitive  I  here?  and,  What  is  my  destiny? 

faith  preached  by  great  men  like  Peter  You  are  composed  and  satisfied, 
and  Paul. 

Jesus  outlined  the  road  to  happiness,  Revival  of  Faith  and  Hope  for 

for  his  gospel  in  a  way  of  life.  It  is  Eternal  Life 
the  foundation  upon  which  you  and  I 

must  build  our  lives.  There  is  no  other  The  revival  of  faith  and  enthusiasm 
safe  and  dependable  road  for  us  to  in  the  early  Saints  and  followers  of 
follow,  for  ".  .  .  strait  is  the  gate,  and  Jesus  after  the  crucifixion  and  the 
narrow  is  the  way,  which  leadeth  unto  resurrection  is  one  of  the  marvels  of 
life,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it."  history.  They  too  had  investigated  and 
(Matt.  7:14.)  examined.  They  were  convinced  by 
Those  who  have  spoken  today  and  what  they  had  seen  and  by  the  prompt- 
in  the  past  from  the  place  where  I  ings  of  the  Holy  Ghost  that  Jesus  is 
now  stand  have  testified  to  the  di-  the  Christ,  the  promised  Redeemer, 
vinity  of  Jesus  Christ.  His  words  are  that  truth  had  been  personified  before 
solemn  declarations  of  truth,  and  his  them,  and  they  recognized  it.  The 
life  is  a  shining  light  to  all  the  world,  proof  was  overwhelming.  They  could 
That  light  will  never  fade  away,  for  not  conscientiously  deny  it. 
"heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,"  May  we  be  true  to  our  convictions, 
said  he,  "but  my  words  shall  not  pass  May  we  be  loyal  to  our  standards, 
away."  (Ibid.,  24:35.)  May  we  serve  the  Lord  with  a  single- 
It  will  survive  the  harsh,  superficial,  ness  of  purpose  and  live  righteously 
and  bitter  criticism  of  bigots  and  before  him  and  all  men,  I  pray  in 
cynics.  In  all  of  his  assertions,  Jesus  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen, 
never  minimized  nor  underrated  the 

importance  of  his  message  to  the  President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

world.  & 

Many  of  you  who  are  listening  to  We  have  just  listened  to  Elder  Alma 

me  at  this  moment,  and  I  refer  to  the  Sonne,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve.  We 

Latter-day    Saints,    have    introduced  will  now  hear  from  William  J.  Critch- 

the  gospel  into  your  lives.  You  have  low,  Jr.,  and  he  will  be  followed  by 

tested  it.  You  have  lived  by  it.  It  has  Gordon  B.  Hinckley  of  the  Council  of 

guided  your  footsteps  and  has  kept  you  the  Twelve,  who  will  be  our  conclud- 

mindful  of  your  duty  to  God  and  your  ing  speaker. 

ELDER  WILLIAM  J.  CRITCHLOW,  JR. 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

President  McKay,  wherever  you  are,  I  have  been  reminded  that  we  are 

I  love  you.  We  all  love  you.  short  on  time  and  long  on  speakers. 


74  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

I  would  be  happy  were  all  of  my  time 
given  to  Elder  Hinckley,  but  maybe 
I  should  use  a  part  of  it.  I'll  pocket 
my  prepared  speech.  Now  I'll  be  pre- 
pared for  conference  next  year. 

Let  me  substitute  for  it  a  sermon- 
ette  or  two. 

Remember  the  Sabbath  Day — to  Keep 
It  Holy 

Sermonette  No.  1:  Would  any  of 
you  who  claim  membership  in  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  or  who  are  assumed  to  be  mem- 
bers, go  to  a  food  store  on  Sunday, 
buy  food,  take  it  home,  put  it  on  the 
table,  and  ask  the  Lord  to  bless  it? 
End  of  Sermonette  No.  1.  The  subject 
of  that  sermonette  is  "Remember  the 
sabbath  day  and  keep  it  holy." 

"Be  ye  clean" 

Sermonette  No.  2:  Shame  on  the 
girl  who  would  let  a  boy  fondle  her 
body  with  his  hands  in  that  evil  prac- 
tice of  petting.  And  shame  on  the  boy 
who  would  take  advantage  of  a  girl 
in  that  abominable  practice  of  petting. 
Petting  leads  to  something  worse.  End 
of  Sermonette  No.  2.  The  subject: 
"Be  clean,  ye  youth  of  Zion,  and  stay 
clean." 

The  Book  of  Mormon  Testifies  of 
Christ 

I  still  have  time  for  a  storiette.  A 
storiette  is  a  very  brief  story.  Some- 
times it  is  a  long  story  greatly  con- 
densed. Mine  is  that  kind. 

Jesus  told  storiettes.  We  call  them 
parables.  A  parable  is  a  fictitious 
storiette.  This  one  is  true: 

I  have  a  practice  of  purchasing  a 
Book  of  Mormon  before  I  board  a 
plane  or  train  here  in  Salt  Lake  City 
— more  often  it  is  a  plane.  The  book 
provides  me  with  reading  material  and 
material  also  for  someone  else,  since 
I  purposely  leave  the  book  on  the 
plane  or  train.  By  the  way,  the  last 
two  or  three  times  I  have  boarded  a 
plane,  I  couldn't  find  the  stand  at 
which  the  books  are  sold.  Whichever 
priesthood  quorum  is  assigned  to  pro- 
vide the  stand  and  books,  I  wish  it 
would  get  back  on  the  job. 


Second  Day 

Returning  from  Los  Angeles  one 
evening  after  a  stake  conference,  I  tied 
myself  in  a  seat  next  to  a  window. 
I  was  tired.  I  dozed.  A  bit  later,  I  sud- 
denly came  to  life  in  a  seizure  of 
coughs.  I  discovered  the  irritant.  A 
man  had  strapped  himself  in  the  seat 
beside  me  and  was  smoking  the 
stinkiest  cigaret  I  ever  smoked,  second- 
handedly.  I  was  glad  when  the  stew- 
ardess requested  him  and  others  to 
put  out  their  cigarets.  The  plane,  she 
said,  was  ready  for  take-off.  But  just 
as  soon  as  we  were  up  in  the  air,  he 
lit  up  another,  and  he  puffed  the 
smoke  in  my  direction;  and  when  he 
had  finished  it,  he  lit  another.  He  was 
near  the  butt  of  a  third  one  when  I, 
my  dander  up,  decided  to  tell  him 
off.  I  was  practically  fogged  out.  I 
turned  to  speak  to  him  just  as  he 
stooped  to  take  something  from  his 
briefcase  on  the  floor.  I  waited. 
Straightening  up  he  beat  me  to  the 
punch — to  the  conversation,  that  is — 
and  he  said:  "Have  you  ever  read  this 
book?"  I  looked  at  it  in  astonishment. 
What  do  you  suppose  it  was?  It  was 
a  Book  of  Mormon. 

"May  I  see  it?"  I  asked.  He  handed 
it  to  me,  and  I  examined  it  and  said 
to  him: 

"Yes  sir,  I  have  read  this  very  book. 
Two  weeks  ago  I  purchased  this  iden- 
tical book  before  boarding  a  plane  in 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  I  left  it  on  the 
plane.  I'm  glad  you  found  it  and  are 
reading  it." 

Well,  you  must  know,  from  that 
moment  on,  all  the  way  to  Salt  Lake 
City,  the  fragrance  of  his  cigaret  was 
fine;  it  didn't  bother  me  at  all,  and 
I  was  sorry  that  I  had  to  get  off  the 
plane  in  Salt  Lake  City.  I  wished  I 
could  have  gone  on  farther  with  him 
because  we  were  having  such  a  fine 
conversation  about  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. 

If  this  storiette  has  a  subject,  it 
would  be  "Read  the  Book  of  Mormon." 

You  here  in  this  building  have  read 
it.  There  may  be  people  listening  in 
on  the  air  who  have  not  read  it.  I 
plead  with  you,  read  it.  You  may  find 
it  as  interesting  as  did  the  man  on  the 
plane. 

I  read  the  Book  of  Mormon  when 
I  was  a  young  man.  I  read  it  on  the 


ELDER  GORDC 

top  of  a  mountain  down  in  southern 
Utah  where  I  was  tending  a  theodolite 
in  the  service  of  the  US  Coast  and 
Geodetic  Survey.  Finishing  it,  I  felt 
I  had  a  fair  understanding  of  the  gos- 
pel principles  contained  in  it. 

Once  I  sat  with  General  Authorities 
of  the  Church  and  heard  President 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith  say,  in  sub- 
stance, "Brethren,  all  of  us  have  to 
read  the  Book  of  Mormon.  We  are 
asking  the  members  of  the  Church  to 
do  it,  so  we  brethren  must  do  it,  too." 

One  of  the  brethren  moaned,  saying, 
"Must  we  who  have  read  it  so  many 
times  take  time  out  to  read  it  again?" 

"Yes,"  replied  President  Smith,  "we 
can't  ask  the  members  to  do  something 
we  are  not  willing  to  do." 

I  turned  to  the  brother  sitting  next 
to  me  and  asked  him  how  many  times 
he  had  read  the  Book  of  Mormon.  He 
answered,  "Forty-five  times." 

"May  I  quote  you?" 

"Not  until  I  go  home  and  check." 

The  next  day  he  told  me  I  could 
quote  him:  "I  have  read  the  book  fifty 
times."  That  brother  is  Milton  R. 
Hunter.  "I  taught,"  he  said,  "the  Book 
of  Mormon  in  seminary  and  institute 
classes.  That  accounts  for  my  reading 
it  so  many  times." 

How  many  times  have  you  read  it? 
Read  it  again.  And  this  time  read  it 
slowly,  so  you  can  digest  the  spiritual 
calories  you  will  find  in  it.  Read  it 


V  B.  HINCKLEY  75 

personally,  putting  yourself  in  the 
shoes  of  Lehi,  who  was  told  to  take 
his  family  into  the  wilderness.  What 
would  you  have  done  were  you  in  his 
shoes?  Put  yourself  in  Nephi's  shoes. 
He  was  instructed  to  go  after  the  brass 
plates.  What  would  you  have  done  in 
his  shoes?  Yes,  read  it  personally. 

Read  it  purposefully,  and  let  your 
purpose  be  to  discover  its  spiritual 
calories  and  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Read  it  for  pleasure.  Discover  how 
it  testifies  of  the  Christ.  Somebody 
said  his  name  is  mentioned  526  times 
therein.  It  testifies  also  of  the  Bible. 
Turn  off  the  TV,  turn  off  the  radio, 
and  read  the  Book  of  Mormon.  You 
will  enjoy  it. 

I  bear  you  my  witness:  In  the  Book 
of  Mormon  you  will  find  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ.  You  may  discover, 
reading  it,  that  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  is  true. 
I  did.  May  you  so  find  it,  I  humbly 
pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Thank  you,  Brother  Critchlow,  for 
those  sermonettes  and  storiettes  and 
very  worthwhile  instructions  to  us. 

Elder  Gordon  B.  Hinckley  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  be  our 
concluding  speaker. 


ELDER  GORDON  B.  HINCKLEY 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


I  seek  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  the  things  I  say  may  be  in  har- 
mony with  the  inspirational  things  to 
which  we  have  listened. 

To  the  Galatian  Saints  Paul  wrote 
these  stirring  words:  "Stand  fast  there- 
fore in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ 
hath  made  us  free,  and  be  not  en- 
tangled again  with  the  yoke  of  bond- 
age." (Gal.  5:1.) 

I  thought  I  witnessed  something  of 
this  bondage  recently  while  riding  in 
the  lounge  of  a  crowded  plane  with 
three  other  men. 


A  Yoke  of  Bondage:  A  Panel  of  the 
Enslaved 

As  the  jet  began  the  fast  climb  to  its 
assigned  altitude,  I  noticed  that  the 
man  across  the  table  had  his  eyes  fixed 
intently  on  the  "No  Smoking"  sign. 
The  instant  it  went  off,  he  reached  for 
his  cigarets.  As  he  began  smoking, 
the  man  next  to  me  became  nervous. 
He  clenched  and  opened  his  fists, 
looked  out  the  window,  turned  to  look 
at  the  man  across  the  table,  and  his 
face  reddened.  The  air  was  a  little 
bumpy.  I  thought  he  might  have  been 
frightened.  I  took  a  closer  look.  He  was 


76  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

a  man  of  good  physique,  well-dressed, 
immaculately  groomed.  He  did  not 
look  the  kind  who  would  be  frightened 
by  a  little  bumpy  air. 

Then  the  fourth  member  of  our 
quartet  took  a  pack  of  cigarets  from 
his  pocket.  He  offered  me  one,  and  I 
declined.  He  then  offered  my  seat  com- 
panion one,  and  he  replied,  "I'm  trying 
to  quit,  and  it's  nearly  killing  me." 

That  started  a  conversation. 

The  first  man  to  light  up  told  how 
he  had  resolved  to  quit  after  hearing 
in  January  1964  the  report  of  the 
Surgeon  General  of  the  United  States. 
He  recounted  a  tale  of  agonizing  days 
and  sleepless  nights  and  of  a  final  sur- 
render to  a  habit  that  had  held  him 
for  many  years.  He  placed  his  cigaret 
between  his  lips,  inhaled  long  and 
deeply,  then  lowered  his  head  as  the 
smoke  drifted  slowly  from  his  lips  and 
nostrils.  "I  couldn't  lick  it,"  he  said 
with  an  evident  air  of  defeat. 

The  next  smoker  took  up  the  con- 
versation. "I  almost  quit.  I'd  been 
burning  two  packs  a  day.  I  thought  I 
could  taper  off.  I  cut  down  to  one 
cigaret  after  each  cup  of  coffee.  That 
was  my  formula.  It  lasted  for  a  time, 
but  I  found  myself  drinking  too  much 
coffee.  Now  I'm  back  to  a  pack  a  day." 

He  had  the  manner  of  an  educated 
man.  He  held  in  his  hands  a  business 
journal.  He  said  that  the  report  of  the 
Surgeon  General  had  frightened  him 
also,  but  then  he  had  read  counteract- 
ing statements.  Perhaps,  he  concluded, 
the  relationship  between  cigaret  smok- 
ing and  cancer  is  only  coincidental; 
the  disease  could  just  as  likely  come 
from  the  exhaust  fumes  we  breathe. 
Then  with  an  impulsive  display  of 
self-mastery,  he  crumpled  his  half- 
smoked  cigaret  into  the  ash  tray, 
snapped  shut  the  lid,  and  commented, 
"Just  the  same,  I  wish  I  could  quit." 

My  seat  companion  then  spoke:  "I'm 
convinced  there's  some  truth  in  what 
I've  seen  and  read  on  the  subject.  We 
take  the  government's  word  for  an 
awful  lot  these  days,  conclusions  based 
on  less  convincing  evidence  than  this. 
I  don't  believe  you  can  deny  the  facts. 
There  is  a  hazard  in  smoking.  But  I'm 
having  a  terrible  fight.  I  never  dreamed 
a  habit  could  be  so  tough  to  break. 


Second  Day 

One  of  them  looked  at  me.  "What 
about  you?"  he  asked. 

I  replied:  "I've  never  used  them." 

"How  lucky  can  you  bel"  was  his 
response.  Without  wishing  in  any  way 
to  appear  self-righteous,  I  thought  the 
same  thing — "How  lucky  can  I  bel" 
And  I  thought  of  a  day  long  ago  when 
as  a  boy  I  sat  in  this  Tabernacle  and 
heard  President  Heber  J.  Grant  speak 
with  moving  conviction  on  the  "Little 
White  Slaver,"  as  he  bore  eloquent 
testimony  of  the  Word  of  Wisdom  as  a 
divine  law.  I  was  greatly  impressed 
that  day,  and  that  impression  gave  me 
resolution. 

Who  could  question  the  bondage  in 
which  these  men  found  themselves? 
Our  conversation  indicated  that  all 
three  were  educated,  able  men  who 
made  important  decisions  every  day. 
But  in  a  matter  admittedly  affecting 
their  own  lives  and  health,  two  already 
had  conceded  defeat,  and  the  third  was 
fighting  a  terrible  battle,  the  victim 
of  a  habit  that  would  not  let  him  go. 

One  study  indicates  that  among  men 
who  had  stopped  smoking,  2>7y2  per- 
cent reported  they  were  smoking  again. 
And  even  among  those  who  reported 
that  they  had  gone  for  as  long  as  12 
to  24  months,  nearly  18  percent  had 
relapsed  into  the  old  habit.  (Consumer 
Reports,  March  1964,  pp.  112-113.) 

Cigarette  Smoking — a  Health  Hazard 

Commenting  on  the  January  1964 
report  of  the  Surgeon  General,  an 
editor  concluded:  "No  longer  can 
reasonable  men  argue  whether  smoking 
is  or  is  not  a  major  health  hazard.  It  is. 
The  remaining  topic  for  consideration 
is  what  can  be  done  about  it."  (Ibid., 
p.  112.) 

A  veritable  mountain  of  evidence 
has  been  produced  by  the  Surgeon 
General's  office,  the  Federal  Trade 
Commission,  the  American  Cancer  So- 
ciety, the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, the  National  Tuberculosis  Asso- 
ciation, and  many  other  groups  and 
individuals.  Responsible  officers  are 
concerned  over  the  grim  statistics  indi- 
cating that  somewhere  between  125,000 
and  300,000  people  a  year  die  in  the 
United  States  from  diseases  that  may 
be  associated  with  the  smoking  of 


ELDER  GORDON  B.  HINCKLEY 


77 


cigarets,  that  your  chances  of  death 
from  lung  cancer  are  70  percent  greater 
if  you  smoke  cigarets,  that  the  hazards 
of  other  diseases  are  seriously  in- 
creased. 

It  is  an  issue  of  serious  magnitude 
when  the  American  Cancer  Society 
estimates  that  "one-pack-a-day  smokers 
die  five  years  earlier  than  non-smokers. 
.  .  .  Heavy  smokers,  two  packs  a  day 
or  more,  die  seven  years  earlier.  This 
means  that  each  pack  shortens  life 
five  to  seven  hours."  (The  Evidence  is 
Clear,  p.  13.) 

Much  of  this  shocking  statistical  data 
has  been  repeated  in  Washington 
during  the  past  two  weeks  where  public 
hearings  have  been  going  forward  on 
proposals  to  nullify  to  a  degree  the 
effect  of  cigaret  advertising  with 
health  warnings. 

Notwithstanding  the  flood  of  evi- 
dence, there  has  been  determined  and 
skilful  opposition. 

Millions  to  Advertise  the  Slave  Master 

Well  might  this  be  expected.  In- 
volved in  this  problem  are  the  8  billion 
dollar  a  year  tobacco  industry,  the 
200  million  a  year  spent  with  adver- 
tising media,  the  millions  paid  in  taxes, 
much  of  it  to  the  federal  government. 
This  creates  the  strange  anomaly  of 
a  government  that  is  doing  little  if  any- 
thing to  reduce  the  smoking  of  its 
citizens  and  thereby  safeguard  their 
health,  even  though  its  own  official 
agencies  have  produced  alarming  evi- 
dence of  the  hazards  inherent  in  the 
continued  use  of  cigarets. 

Britain  has  been  more  forward.  It 
has  placed  a  governmental  ban  on 
cigaret  advertising,  as  has  Italy. 

The  American  tobacco  industry  re- 
cently set  up  a  new  advertising  code. 
But  make  no  mistake  about  it,  adver- 
tising continues,  with  as  much  as  10 
million  dollars  being  spent  to  launch  a 
single  new  brand.  Pleas  are  made  that 
as  long  as  the  manufacture  of  a  product 
is  permitted,  its  advertising  should  be 
permitted.  To  which  comes  the  re- 
joinder that  in  cases  where  serious  haz- 
ards are  clearly  indicated,  there  is  a 
responsibility  also  to  indicate  those 
hazards. 


Emancipation  from  Tobacco  Slavery, 
a  Health  Issue 

To  the  many  able  and  devoted  men 
and  women  across  the  nation  who  are 
concerned  with  this  problem,  it  is  not 
a  religious  issue.  It  is  a  health  issue. 

But  with  all  that  has  been  said,  with 
all  the  statistics  that  have  been  ac- 
cumulated, with  a  constant  and  pain- 
ful parade  of  surgery  cases  through 
the  nation's  hospitals,  the  consumption 
of  cigarets  increases.  There  was  a  de- 
crease in  1964  for  a  time,  but  the  trend 
again  is  upward.  There  is  belief  but 
there  is  no  faith. 

132  Years  Ago,  God  Said,  'Tobacco  is 
not  good  for  man.' 

In  contemplating  all  of  this,  one 
appreciates  the  incomparable  wisdom 
of  the  Lord  who  in  1833  in  a  rural 
town  on  the  frontier  of  America  spoke 
these  simple  and  encompassing  words: 
".  .  .  tobacco  ...  is  not  good  for 
man,  .  .  ."  (D&C  89:8.) 

He  did  not  say  that  one  would  get 
lung  cancer,  develop  heart  or  respira- 
tory problems  if  he  smoked.  He  did 
not  produce  mountainous  statistics  or 
recite  case  histories.  He  simply  declared 
that  ".  .  .  tobacco  ...  is  not  good  for 
man,  .  .  ." 

That  declaration  was  given  as  "a 
principle  with  promise."  (V.  3.) 

"In  consequence  of  evils  and  designs" 

It  was  given  as  a  warning  and  a  fore- 
warning, "in  consequence  of  evils  and 
designs  which  do  and  will  exist  in  the 
hearts  of  conspiring  men  in  the  last 
days,  .  .  ."  (V.  4.)  How  aptly  descrip- 
tive these  words  are  in  light  of  what 
we  today  observe. 

The  Way  to  Liberty 

God  be  thanked  for  this  declaration 
and  the  promise  that  accompanies  it. 
Can  there  be  any  doubt  that  it  is  a 
Word  of  Wisdom  when  great  forces, 
with  millions  of  dollars  at  their  com- 
mand and  some  of  the  cleverest  minds 
in  the  art  of  advertising,  promote  that 
which  sober  men  of  science  also  now 
say  "is  not  good  for  man"? 

One  cannot  read  the  testimony  with- 


78 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Monday,  April  5,  1X5 

out  recognizing  that  true  freedom  lies 
in  obedience  to  the  counsels  of  God. 
It  was  said  of  old  that  ".  .  .  the  com- 
mandment is  a  lamp;  and  the  law  is 
light;  .  .  ."  (Prov.  6:23.) 

The  gospel  is  not  a  philosophy  of  re- 
pression, as  so  many  regard  it.  It  is  a 
plan  of  freedom  that  gives  discipline 
to  appetite  and  direction  to  behavior. 
Its  fruits  are  sweet  and  its  rewards  are 
liberal,  as  I  am  confident  my  friends 
on  the  plane  would  have  been  happy 
to  have  testified. 

"Stand  fast  therefore  in  the  liberty 
wherewith  Christ  hath  made  us  free, 
and  be  not  entangled  again  with  the 
yoke  of  bondage."  (Gal.  5:1.) 

".  .  .  where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is, 
there  is  liberty."  (2  Cor.  3:17.)  In  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Gordon  B.  Hinckley  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  has  been  our 
concluding  speaker.  We  wish  to  make 
an  announcement  that  this  evening  at 
7:00  the  General  Priesthood  meeting 
of  the  Church  will  convene  in  the 
Tabernacle,  and  in  addition  to  the 
overflow  meeting  in  the  Assembly  Hall, 
proceedings  of  the  priesthood  meeting 
will  be  relayed  by  closed  circuit  broad- 
cast originating  in  the  Tabernacle  to 
members  of  the  Aaronic  and  Melchize- 
dek  priesthoods  assembled  in  approxi- 
mately 400  separate  locations  in  all 
parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
It  is  estimated  that  approximately 
12,000  holders  of  the  priesthood  will 
be  on  Temple  Square,  and  approxi- 
mately 60,000  others  will  gather  in 
other  locations  from  coast  to  coast. 

The  singing  for  this  session  has  been 
furnished  by  the  Brigham  Young  Uni- 


Second  Day 

versity  Combined  Choruses,  with 
Ralph  Woodward  conducting  and  Roy 
M.  Darley  at  the  organ.  We  wish  to  ex- 
press our  sincere  appreciation  to  this 
chorus.  I  would  turn  around  and  face 
them  but  if  I  did  they  would  not  be 
able  to  hear  me,  but  we  want  them 
to  know  that  we  greatly  appreciate  the 
contribution  they  have  made  to  the 
spirit  of  this  occasion.  Their  vibrant 
young  voices  have  brought  comfort  and 
inspiration  and  hope  to  all  who  have 
assembled  and  we  thank  them  very 
sincerely.  We  also  want  to  thank 
Brother  Maughan  McMurdie  and 
Ralph  Woodward,  the  conductors, 
for  the  excellence  of  their  performance 
and  their  thorough  preparation;  also 
Brother  Frank  Asper  and  Roy  M.  Dar- 
ley who  performed  at  the  organ  so 
well.  Very  often  when  we  are  listen- 
ing to  choruses  and  sometimes  to  solo- 
ists, we  forget  the  important  parts 
played  by  the  accompanists.  The  organ- 
ists throughout  the  conference  have 
been  exceptional,  and  we  want  Brother 
Asper  and  Brother  Darley  to  know  that 
their  work  is  thoroughly  appreciated. 

The  choruses  will  now  sing  "The 
Song  of  Praise,"  after  which  the  bene- 
diction will  be  offered  by  President 
M.  Dover  Hunt  of  the  Orem  Stake,  and 
the  conference  will  be  adjourned  until 
7:00  this  evening  at  priesthood  meet- 
ing. 

The  Combined  Choruses  sang  as  a 
concluding  number,  "The  Song  of 
Praise." 

President  M.  Dover  Hunter  of  the 
Orem  Stake  offered  the  closing  prayer. 

Conference  adjourned  until  7:00 
p.  m. 


GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD  MEETING 


The  General  Priesthood  Meeting  of 
the  Church  was  held  at  7:00  p.  m., 
Monday,  April  5. 

President  David  O.  McKay  was 
present  and  presided.  At  his  request, 
President  Hugh  B.  Brown,  First  Coun- 
selor in  the  First  Presidency,  conducted 
the  meeting. 

The  choral  music  for  this  session 
was  furnished  by  the  Men  of  the  Tab- 


ernacle Choir,  Richard  P.  Condie, 
Conductor,  Alexander  Schreiner,  Tab- 
ernacle Organist,  accompanist. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

This  is  the  General  Priesthood  ses- 
sion of  the  135th  annual  conference  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints.  All  of  you  who  are  as- 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


79 


sembled  here  will  know,  but  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  are  listening  in, 
it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  tell  them 
and  you  that  we  are  favored  tonight 
with  the  presence  of  President  David 
O.  McKay.  He  is  presiding  at  this  ses- 
sion, all  sessions  of  the  conference  in 
fact,  and  we  who  conduct  occasionally 
do  so  under  his  direction. 

It  may  interest  you  to  know  that 
these  services  are  being  relayed  by 
closed  circuit  wire  to  members  of  the 
priesthood  gathered  in  the  Assembly 
Hall  and  in  approximately  400  other 
separate  gatherings  from  coast  to  coast 
and  in  Canada.  It  is  estimated  that 
approximately  60,000  will  participate 
in  this  meeting  by  direct  wire.  This 
does  not  include  the  12,000  gathered  in 
the  building  and  in  the  Assembly  Hall. 

The  singing  during  this  session  will 
be  furnished  by  the  men  of  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir,  with  Richard  P.  Condie 
as  conductor  and  Alexander  Schreiner 
at  the  organ.  We  shall  begin  these 
services  by  the  chorus  singing,  "Prayer 
at  Evening."  After  the  singing  Elder 
Stanford  G.  Smith,  president  of  the 
Bountiful  Stake,  will  offer  the  opening 
prayer. 

The  Men  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
sang  "Prayer  at  Evening,"  following 
which  the  invocation  was  offered  by 
President  Stanford  G.  Smith  of  the 
Bountiful  Stake. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

The  men  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir 


will  now  favor  us  with  "Seek  Thy 
God." 

Selection  by  the  Men  of  the  Taber- 
nacle Choir,  "Seek  Thy  God." 

President  McKay 

APPRECIATION  TO  PRIESTHOOD 
MEMBERS 

Brethren  of  the  Priesthood  of  the 
Church:  Few,  if  any,  of  you  can  ap- 
preciate my  feelings  when  I  say,  I  am 
happy  to  meet  you. 

I  had  a  message  in  my  heart  and  I 
put  it  on  paper,  anticipating  this  mo- 
ment, but  I  have  been  advised  that  I 
had  better  conserve  what  little  strength 
I  have.  I  say  to  you,  I  am  happy  to 
be  in  your  presence.  I  feel  honored 
to  work  with  my  counselors,  and  the 
Twelve,  and  the  other  General  Author- 
ities. My  heart  is  filled  to  overflowing 
in  appreciation  for  your  companion- 
ship and  your  prayers;  for  your  ability 
and  willingness  to  carry  on  the  Priest- 
hood of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints. 

I  have  asked  my  son,  Edward,  (Dr. 
Edward  R.  McKay)  to  read  a  para- 
graph or  two  that  I  have  written,  and 
if  he  will  do  that,  I  shall  just  close 
with  a  prayer  in  my  heart  for  God's 
blessings  to  be  with  you  always,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

The  Choir  and  the  congregation 
sang  the  hymn,  "We  Thank  Thee,  O 
God,  For  a  Prophet." 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


Read  by  Dr.  Edward  R.  McKay 
a  son  of  President  McKay 

My  dear  brethren  in  the  priesthood: 

What  is  the  end  and  purpose  of  re- 
ligion, "swaying  the  lives  of  men  the 
centuries  through"?  The  members  of 
The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  answer  in  the  words  of  the 
Lord  revealed  through  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  that  the  end  and  purpose 
of  true  religion,  which  is  the  work  of 
God,  is  ".  .  .  to  bring  to  pass  the  im- 
mortality and  eternal  life  of  man." 
(Moses  1:39.) 


And  what  is  the  crowning  glory  of 
man  in  this  earth  so  far  as  his  indi- 
vidual achievement  is  concerned?  It  is 
character — character  developed  through 
obedience  to  the  laws  of  life  as  re- 
vealed through  Jesus  Christ,  who  came 
that  we  might  have  life  and  have  it 
more  abundantly. 

Man's  chief  concern  in  life  should 
not  be  the  acquiring  of  gold  or  of  fame 
or  of  material  possessions.  It  should 
not  be  the  development  of  physical 
prowess,  nor  of  intellectual  strength, 
but  his  aim,  the  highest  in  life,  should 


80  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  S,  1965 

be  the  development  of  a  Christlike 
character. 

One  of  the  most  significant  state- 
ments in  the  Word  of  Wisdom,  one 
which  carries  with  it  evidence  of  the 
inspiration  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  is  found  in  the  following  state- 
ment, "In  consequence  of  evils  and  de- 
signs which  do  and  will  exist  in  the 
hearts  of  conspiring  men  in  the  last 
days,  I  have  warned  you,  and  fore- 
warned you,  by  giving  unto  you  this 
word  of  wisdom  by  revelation — "  (D&C 
89:4.)  ". .  .  evils  and  designs  which  do 
and  will  exist  in  the  hearts  of  conspir- 
ing men  .  .  ." — the  purport  of  that 
statement  impressed  me  way  back  in 
the  twenties  and  thirties  of  this  cen- 
tury. 

I  ask  you  to  recall  the  methods  em- 
ployed by  certain  tobacco  interests  to 
induce  women  to  smoke  cigarets.  You 
remember  how  insidiously  they 
launched  their  plan:  first,  by  saying 
that  smoking  would  reduce  weight. 
Their  slogan  was:  "Take  a  cigaret  in- 
stead of  a  sweet."  Later,  some  of  us 
noticed  in  the  theatre  that  they  would 
have  a  young  woman  light  the  gentle- 
man's cigaret.  Following  this  a  woman's 
hand  would  be  shown  on  billboards 
lighting  or  taking  a  cigaret.  A  year  or 
two  passed,  and  soon  they  were  brazen 
enough  to  show  the  woman  on  the 
screen  or  on  the  billboard  smoking  the 
cigaret 

I  have  a  newspaper  clipping  which 
I  set  aside  in  1931  which  corroborates 
this  idea.  It  reads:  "It  is  well-known 
that  the  cigarette  manufacturers  are 
now  after  the  young  women  and  girls. 
They  say  there  are  twenty-five  million 
of  these  in  the  United  States,  and  if 
they  can  popularize  smoking  among 
them,  they  will  be  able  to  increase 
their  sales  from  three  billions,  six 
hundred  million  dollars  annually,  to 
six  billion  dollars.  This  is  their  claim 
and  their  aim." 

Now,  as  you  all  know,  it  is  common 
to  see  beautiful  young  women  depicted 
on  billboards  and  in  magazine  adver- 
tisements smoking  cigarets;  and  now 
most  insidious  of  all  are  the  cigaret 
advertisements  which  come  into  our 
homes  by  way  of  television  and  are 
viewed  by  our  boys  and  girls,  showing 
young  men  and  young  women  smoking 


Second  Day 

in  the  most  enticing  scenes  possible. 

Do  these  conspiring  men  have  evil 
designs  upon  our  youth?  Keep  your  eyes 
and  ears  open  to  observe  if  they  are  not 
taking  the  same  steps  now  to  get  our 
boys  interested  as  they  did  to  entice 
women  to  use  that  vile  weed. 

Our  youth  should  be  taught  the  haz- 
ards of  cigaret  smoking  to  health.  They 
should  be  taught  that  doctors  and  scien- 
tists now  have  established  a  direct  tie 
to  cancer  and  cigaret  smoking. 

Emerson  Foote,  chairman  of  the  Na- 
tional Interagency  Council  on  Smoking 
and  Health,  has  testified  that  "  'it  has 
been  concluded  by  responsible  scien- 
tific authorities'  that  cigarette  smoking 
is  responsible  for  at  least  125,000  and 
possibly  300,000  deaths  a  year  in  this 
country. 

"  'But  death  is  not  the  only 
thing.  ...  It  is  beyond  doubt  that 
there  are  millions  of  people  who  suffer 
varying  degrees  of  disability  brought 
on  by  cigarette  smoking.'  "  (Washing- 
ton [Associated  Press],  Deseret  News, 
March  23,  1965,  p.  A7.) 

Somewhere  between  sixty  and  eighty 
percent  of  boys  and  men  and  a  some- 
what lesser  number  of  girls  and  women 
are  already  habituated  to  cigarets  or 
they  are  confirmed  addicts. 

The  high  death  rates  from  cigaret 
smoking  have  created  a  demand  from 
many  interested  groups  for  positive 
action  that  will  lessen  the  dangers  to 
health.  The  Royal  College  of  Physi- 
cians of  Great  Britain,  the  American 
Cancer  Society,  and  the  United  States 
Public  Health  Service  have  led  the  way 
in  creating  public  reaction  against 
smoking.  The  Cancer  Society  has  sup- 
ported research  generously  and  has 
kept  the  public  and  the  medical  pro- 
fession informed  on  the  problems  con- 
nected with  smoking.  The  Surgeon 
General  of  the  Public  Health  Service 
has  used  his  official  and  moral  in- 
fluence in  emphasizing  the  dangers 
involved  in  smoking. 

These  agencies,  as  well  as  the  great 
body  of  research  scientists,  have  com- 
piled the  evidence  and  stated  the  facts 
so  clearly  that  every  reasonable  mind  is 
fully  aware  of  the  danger  entailed  from 
smoking. 

Notwithstanding  the  admission  of 
danger  from  smoking,  the  advertising 


PRESIDENT  Di 

of  cigarets  by  the  tobacco  companies 
has  been  stepped  up  to  an  all-time  peak. 
Yet  there  is  never  a  hint  that  smok- 
ing is  already  a  major  threat  to  life. 
Instead,  the  advertising  constantly 
emphasizes  the  mildness  of  the  cigaret 
and  its  pleasurable  qualities.  This  ciga- 
ret advertising  is  promoted  with  such 
reckless  abandon,  in  spite  of  what  re- 
search has  already  proved  regarding 
the  dangers  from  smoking,  that  the 
most  charitable  conclusion  to  be  drawn 
is  that  the  promoters  have  no  regard 
whatever  for  the  value  of  human  life. 
It  seems  that  success  for  the  tobacco 
industry  is  more  important  than  the 
avoiding  of  suffering  and  of  death. 

One  hundred  thirty-two  years  ago  a 
twenty-seven-year-old  youth  told  the 
world  that  tobacco  was  harmful  for  the 
human  body.  Members  of  The  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
were  given  by  divine  revelation  the 
Word  of  Wisdom,  in  which  they  were 
advised  to  refrain  from  the  use  of  to- 
bacco in  any  form.  They  were  promised 
better  health  as  a  result.  This  was 
strange  as  no  one  knew  of  any  danger 
from  smoking  at  that  time.  Most  of  the 
members  accepted  and  applied  the  in- 
structions given. 

The  demonstration  presented  today 
by  more  than  two  million  people  of 
the  Church  should  be  impressive  to 
any  skeptic.  Hundreds  of  thousands 
of  teenage  youths  have  never  smoked. 
They  know  that  smoking  is  a  destruc- 
tive habit  that  mars  the  human  body 
as  well  as  the  mind. 

Our  homes  should  establish  the  fact 
that  the  boy  who  indulges  in  cigarets 
is  not  contributing  to  his  advancement 
and  growth  in  the  Church  and  king- 
dom of  God;  neither  is  he  preparing 
himself  for  his  responsible  place  in 
society.  The  word  of  God  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  is  that  tobacco  is  not  good 
for  man.  The  statement  is  not  quali- 
fied in  any  way.  Scientists  have  demon- 
strated it;  men  who  have  tried  to 
disprove  it  have  failed;  and  we  as  a 
people  stand  committed  to  that  com- 
mand from  God.  Keep  the  habit  of 
smoking  and  the  use  of  tobacco  in  any 
form  out  of  the  lives  of  our  boys.  Re- 
sistance of  the  appetite  will  react  upon 
the  character  and  strengthen  it,  and 
just  because  a  man  has  developed  the 


'ID  O.  McKAY  81 

habit  is  no  justification  for  his  con- 
tinuing it.  Just  because  some  man  may 
think  he  is  immune  from  the  ill  effects 
of  tobacco  is  no  justification  for  its 
use  in  the  priesthood  of  God. 

Fathers  and  members  of  the  priest- 
hood have  the  obligation  of  setting  an 
example  worthy  of  imitation  to  the 
youth.  Boys  want  to  look  upon  you  as 
men.  Their  ideals  incorporate  in  your 
life  all  the  Christlike  attributes,  as 
nearly  as  you  can  develop  them,  which 
Christ  had  when  the  Roman  governor 
pointed  to  him  saying,  "Behold  the 
man!"  (John  19:5.)  Remember,  even 
though  you  have  the  habit,  overcoming 
it  will  make  you  stronger. 

"It  is  easy  enough  to  be  virtuous 
When  nothing  tempts  you  to  stray, 
When  without  or  within  no  voice  of  sin 
Is  luring  your  soul  away. 
But  it  is  only  a  negative  virtue 
Until  it  is  tried  by  fire, 
And  the  soul  that  is  worth  the  honor  of 
earth 

Is  the  soul  that  resists  desire." 
(Adapted  from  Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox, 
"Worth  While.") 

To  our  boys  I  would  say  that  if  they 
want  to  live  physically;  if  they  want 
to  be  men  strong  in  body,  vigorous  in 
mind;  if  they  want  to  be  good  in  sports, 
enter  the  basketball  game,  enter  the 
football  game,  enter  the  contest  in 
running  and  jumping;  if  they  want  to 
be  good  Scouts;  if  they  want  to  be 
good  citizens,  in  business,  anywhere, 
avoid  tobacco  and  live  strictly  the 
religious  life. 

May  God  help  us  as  men  of  the 
priesthood,  as  fathers,  to  reach  our 
boys  and  young  men  and  impress  upon 
them  this  great  lesson,  this  divine 
truth,  that  to  be  carnally  minded  is  to 
be  miserable,  unhappy,  but  to  be 
spiritually  minded,  which  means  to 
obey  the  principles  of  the  gospel  in 
all  that  it  means,  is  to  have  life,  life 
eternal  and  peace,  I  humbly  pray  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

I  am  sure  we  all  feel  it  very  timely, 
this  inspired  message,  this  voice  of 
warning  from  a  prophet  of  God,  and  it 


82  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Monday,  April  5,  1965  Second  Day 

will  have  a  very  definite  and  tre-  We  shall  now  hear  from  Elder  Alvin 
mendous  impact,  reaching  as  it  has,  R.  Dyer,  and  he  will  be  followed  by 
upwards  of  100,000  men.  Elder  Sterling  W.  Sill. 


ELDER  ALVIN  R.  DYER 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


I  am  truly  grateful,  my  brethren,  to 
be  in  the  presence  of  President  David 
O.  McKay  and  his  Counselors  this 
night,  and  these,  my  brethren  of  the 
General  Authorities,  and  you,  my 
brethren  of  the  priesthood;  and  I  pray 
for  an  interest  in  your  faith  and 
prayers,  prayers  which  I  have  earnestly 
made  since  receiving  this  assignment. 

The  Priesthood  Sustains  Man 

This  marvelous  testimony  of  the  dis- 
paragements and  the  dissolutions  that 
are  being  caused  by  the  violations  of 
God's  laws  as  has  been  stated  by  Presi- 
dent McKay  presents  the  anticipation 
of  a  great  tragedy  among  men.  But 
perhaps  the  destruction  of  faith  and 
honor  in  the  lives  of  those  who  partake 
of  any  harmful  indulgence  will  be 
even  greater  than  the  physical  dis- 
abilities which  it  incurs.  I  believe  that 
there  is  an  honor  in  the  priesthood  of 
God  which  sustains  man.  As  a  funda- 
mental reason  for  the  restoration  of 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in  this  the 
last  dispensation,  the  Lord  gave  the 
following  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith: 
".  .  .  that  every  man  might  speak  in 
the  name  of  God  the  Lord,  even  the 
Savior  of  the  world";  (D&C  1:20)  and 
I  believe  that  the  highest  concept  of 
this  is  that  he  who  holds  the  priest- 
hood shall  do  so  and  shall  speak  in 
this  manner  for  and  in  behalf  of  his 
family.  This  bears  the  mark  of  the 
most  crucial  phase  of  the  gospel  plan, 
for  the  extent  of  the  family  priesthood 
sealing  among  the  children  of  God  the 
Eternal  Father  vindicates  the  purpose 
of  mortality. 

Articles  of  Righteous  Dominion 

The  articles  of  righteous  dominion 
revealed  to  Joseph  Smith  are  essential 
principles  of  the  priesthood  as  applied 
to  self  and  are  the  influence  to  be 
exercised  over  others  for  the  good  of  all. 


(See  ibid.,  121:37-44.)  In  their  highest 
sense  they  are  characteristic  of  honor. 
Honor  is  the  principle  of  power  that 
must  weigh  in  the  balance  all  opposing 
principles  of  indulgence  contrary  to  the 
will  of  God  and  the  spirit  of  the  priest- 
hood. It  was  the  honor  or  the  power  of 
God  which  Lucifer  unrighteously 
sought  in  the  preexistence.  (See  ibid., 
29:36.)  We  who  hold  the  priesthood 
of  God  have  within  our  grasp  the 
highest  aspects  of  honor.  The  straight- 
forwardness of  living  is  obtained  in 
magnifying  the  priesthood  principles. 
Here  is  the  direct  channel  as  pro- 
claimed by  the  Lord  leading  to  glory, 
honor,  immortality,  and  eternal  life. 

Man  Must  Be  Worthy 

For  a  man  to  obtain  the  priesthood 
with  God-given  rights,  to  exercise  and 
magnify  it  in  behalf  of  his  family,  he 
must  be  worthily  ordained  to  it.  But 
the  proven  stumbling  block  to  this 
high  privilege  in  our  day  and  time  are 
the  dishonorable  indulgences  of  things 
of  a  physical  and  moral  nature.  And 
because  of  the  standards  implied  by 
abstaining  from  harmful  indulgences, 
I  have  known  many  good  men  plagued 
with  bad  habits  who  absent  themselves 
from  priesthood  activity.  It  affects  a 
man's  honor  and  becomes  an  obstruc- 
tion which  prevents  him  from  respond- 
ing to  the  priesthood  which  otherwise 
would  be  natural  to  him.  The  measure 
of  honor  we  reach  in  life  is  dependent 
upon  the  caliber  of  that  which  we  per- 
mit to  become  a  part  of  ourselves, 
which  affects  our  physical,  emotional, 
and  mental  ways  of  life.  Seeds  sown  in 
honor  spring  forth  to  become  jewels 
of  eternity,  while  seeds  sown  in  dis- 
honor for  whatever  purpose  decay  and 
die  in  the  corrupted  soil  where  they 
are  sown. 

God  does  not  require  of  man  the 
achievement  of  honor  and  nobility 


ELDER  ALVIN  R.  DYER 


83 


without  having  given  him  the  in- 
herent power  to  obtain  it.  As  revealed 
to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  the  Lord 
has  said  to  accomplish  this  that  ".  .  . 
the  power  is  in  them,  wherein  they  are 
agents  unto  themselves."  (Ibid.,  58:28.) 
And  as  agents  unto  ourselves  a  man 
can  therefore  accomplish  that  which 
he  wills  to  accomplish  and  needs  not 
indulge  in  that  which  he  does  not  will 
to  indulge  in.  The  complete  restraining 
of  harmful  indulgences,  both  physical 
and  moral,  is  a  matter  of  personal 
honor.  "Blessed  is  the  man,"  says  the 
Apostle  James,  "that  endureth  tempta- 
tion: for  when  he  is  tried,  he  shall 
receive  the  crown  of  life.  .  .  ."  (James 
1:12.) 

"He  that  overcometh,"  said  the 
Master  unto  John,  "shall  inherit  all 
things;  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he 
shall  be  my  son."  (Rev.  21:7.) 

These  are  days  of  challenge  to  main- 
tain individual  honor  and  inner  sta- 
bility. Men  and  boys  lose  their  honor 
for  false  reasons. 

False  Principles 

Not  long  ago  in  one  of  the  large 
eastern  cities  of  America,  a  young  man 
in  his  middle  teens  was  shot  by  a 
stray  bullet  in  a  gang  war.  As  he 
fought  for  his  life  in  a  hospital,  he 
told  police  authorities  that  he  never 
really  felt  a  part  of  the  gang  but  that 
he  had  hung  on  because  of  his  loyalty 
to  two  members  of  the  gang  that  he 
had  grown  up  with  in  his  own  neigh- 
borhood. He  felt  that  if  he  were  to 
drop  out  he  would  be  untrue  to  them. 

This  incident  tells  the  story  of  a 
false  sense  of  loyalty  that  caused  this 
young  man  to  surrender  the  principles 
of  decent  living  to  participate  in  things 
against  his  own  nature,  even  nullify- 
ing his  chances  for  a  good  life  and 
bringing  disgrace  upon  his  family  and 
community.  Had  he  with  honor  cou- 
rageously faced  up  to  his  problem,  fol- 
lowing the  tougher  road  of  dropping 
out  of  the  gang  and  revealing  to  the 
authorities  the  escapades  of  rape  and 
murder  and  larceny  that  the  gang,  of 
which  only  a  minority  were  the  lead- 
ers, had  perpetrated,  many  could  have 
been  rehabilitated  and  saved,  and  he 
himself  would  have  lived  to  accom- 


plish  his  boyhood  dream  to  build 
ships.  Instead,  his  life,  as  he  died  a 
few  days  later,  was  forfeited,  and 
others  of  the  mob  have  been  sent  to 
prison,  one  to  pay  for  his  life. 

When  we  weigh  in  the  balance  the 
difference  between  honor  and  loyalty, 
there  comes  a  time  when  in  order  to 
achieve  honor  one  must  determine  the 
value  of  that  to  which  he  will  give 
his  loyalty.  If  it  calls  for  a  surrender 
of  honor  then  it  is  false.  False  loyalty 
will  sometimes  seem  very  real,  and 
there  is  a  strange  code  among  young 
men  that  induces  such  a  false  loyalty, 
but  they  must  calculate  the  end  result. 

Once  in  ancient  Israel  King  Saul 
found  displeasure  with  God  for  fail- 
ing to  obey,  although  he  thought  that 
he  had  kept  the  law  by  offering  sacri- 
fice. To  him  came  the  denunciation, 
".  .  .  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice, 
.  .  ."  (1  Sam.  15:22.)  This  did  not 
mean  that  sacrifice  was  not  a  good 
principle,  but  when  exhibited  by  dis- 
obedience, it  is  false.  Loyalty  likewise 
is  a  good  principle,  but  never  if  it 
means  the  surrender  of  honor. 

Just  how  much  cheating  goes  on  in 
colleges  and  universities — it  is  esti- 
mated to  be  far  more  than  most  educa- 
tional officials  realize — is  the  subject 
of  a  nationwide  study  by  Columbia 
University.  "Of  the  students  questioned 
in  the  99-college  survey,  more  than 
half  have  admitted  to  cheating."  The 
national  conscience  is  shocked  by  the 
cheating  scandal  at  the  US  Air  Force 
Academy  in  Colorado.  But  conclusions 
"Based  on  the  Columbia  University 
survey  involving  5,422  students  at  99 
colleges  and  universities  coast  to  coast" 
suggest: 

"Some  ways  to  reduce  cheating  are 
indicated  in  the  survey,  based  on 
questionnaires  returned  by  5,422  col- 
lege students,  626  deans  and  502 
student-body  presidents.  Conclusions 
include: 

"Colleges  with  honor  systems,  the 
study  finds,  'are  less  apt  to  have  a 
high  level  of  cheating  than  those  with 
other  arrangements  for  control.'  " 
(Copyright  article  by  U.  S.  News  & 
World  Report,  February  8,  1965,  p. 
10.)  Cheating  and  acts  of  dishonor  are 
not  confined  to  the  classroom  and 


84  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

wherever  exhibited  demonstrate  abnor- 
mality. 

When  honor  and  integrity  are  sacri- 
ficed to  gain  some  cheap  and  fanciful 
end,  a  change  takes  place  within  the 
inner  structure  of  the  individual. 

Not  all  narcotics,  which  change  con- 
ditions from  normal  to  abnormal,  from 
real  to  unreal,  are  found  in  pellets  and 
powders,  liquids,  tipparillos,  or  in 
filtered  white  tubes  of  satisfaction. 

Avoid  Whatever  Deteriorates  Human 
Personality 

In  a  true  sense,  any  dishonorable, 
superficial,  or  insincere  indulgence 
reacts  upon  the  nervous  system  like  a 
narcotic.  And  when  unnatural  or  un- 
earned pleasures  are  sought,  there  is 
a  certain  imbalance  that  takes  place. 
The  use  of  alcohol,  heroin,  tobacco, 
cocaine,  tea,  coffee,  or  other  stimulants 
— and  add  to  these  dishonor,  dis- 
honesty, insincerity,  the  pollution  of 
the  mind  with  evil  and  immoral 
thoughts,  and  you  get  a  wider  meaning 
of  what  is  meant  by  a  narcotic — these 
are  the  "kicks"  that  can  kick  a  young 
man,  or  anyone  for  that  matter,  right 
out  of  the  realms  of  decency,  honor, 
and  a  character  of  integrity. 

In  all  of  the  indulgences,  both  im- 
moral and  physical,  the  first  makes  the 
second  easier;  to  yield  to  temptation 
once  makes  it  easier  to  yield  again  and 
again.  But  to  resist  and  restrain  sus- 
tains normalcy,  making  later  decisions 
even  more  positive.  I  once  stood  on  a 
street  in  Trondheim,  Norway,  looking 
up  at  a  statue  of  a  Viking  who  had 
been  mounted  atop  a  lofty  pillar.  And 
at  the  time  there  came  to  my  mind 
a  fable  of  the  Norsemen  I  had  heard  as 
a  boy  which  I  recall  went  like  this: 
"The  blood  of  the  conquered  goes  over 
into  the  veins  of  the  conqueror." 

Obedience  to  the  Word  of  God  Is  the 
Way  to  Perfection 

Thus,  my  brethren,  132  years  ago  the 
Lord  revealed  unto  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  words  of  wisdom  concerning 
harmful  indulgences  which  tear  down 
the  structure  of  the  human  body  by 
the  abnormalities  which  contribute  to 
moral  and  spiritual  delinquencies,  call- 


Second  Day 

ing  for  a  surrender  of  dignity  and 
honor.  The  Lord,  in  concluding  this 
revelation,  indicates  its  relationship  to 
the  whole  gospel  plan  when  he  said  to 
keep  and  do  these  things,  that  we  may 
then  walk  in  obedience  to  the  com- 
mandments of  God.  (See  D&C  89:18.) 
Herein  I  believe  is  the  key  of  this 
revelation:  to  "find  wisdom  and  great 
treasures  of  knowledge,  even  hidden 
treasures."  (Ibid.,  89:19.) 

To  me  the  most  important  personal 
phase  of  the  gospel  and  one  that  can 
realistically  lead  to  the  attainment  of 
its  many  gifts  is  that  part  which 
reaches  down  into  the  very  fiber  of  the 
personal  self.  Here  is  where  the  power 
is  developed.  It  concerns  the  actuality 
of  what  a  person  really  is  and  not  what 
he  professes  to  be.  The  real  motivation 
of  gospel  law  produces  a  character  and 
nobility  of  soul  that  is  devoid  of  any 
false  and  superficial  veneer. 

What  I  am  suggesting  here  is  that 
basically  and  inherently  a  man  cannot 
be  both  evil  and  good;  he  cannot,  as 
the  Lord  has  said,  serve  two  masters. 
Any  attempt  at  double-mindedness  can 
produce  but  one  thing,  and  that  is  in- 
stability. 

There  are  some,  for  vanity  or  other 
superficial  reasons,  who  may  seemingly 
offer  a  good  gift,  but  only  to  deceive, 
and  often  as  not  this  simulation  is 
made  to  cover  something  ugly  and  sin- 
ful which  lodges  beneath  the  false 
veneer. 

In  the  balance  of  the  innermost 
thoughts  and  feelings  lies  the  real 
person,  to  be  evil  or  to  be  good.  God 
recognizes  no  sense  of  good  which  is 
but  a  cloak  of  how  the  inner  person 
really  feels  in  opposition  thereto. 

And  unto  those  who  with  dishonor 
surrender  their  cause  to  superficial  and 
unearned  pursuits  that  come  from  these 
harmful  indulgences,  the  Prophet 
Moroni  gives  utterance  to  the  teachings 
of  his  father  Mormon: 

"...  a  bitter  fountain  cannot  bring 
forth  good  water;  neither  can  a  good 
fountain  bring  forth  bitter  water;  .  .  ." 
(Moroni  7:11.) 

"...  a  man  being  evil  cannot  do  that 
which  is  good;  for  if  he  offereth  a  gift, 
or  prayeth  unto  God,  except  he  shall 
do  it  with  real  intent  it  profiteth  him 
nothing."  (Ibid.,  7:6.) 


ELDER  ALVl 

".  .  .  if  a  man  being  evil  giveth  a 
gift,  he  doeth  it  grudgingly;  wherefore 
it  is  counted  unto  him  the  same  as  if 
he  had  retained  the  gift;  wherefore  he 
is  counted  evil  before  God."  (Ibid., 
7:8.) 

"And  likewise  also  is  it  counted  evil 
unto  a  man,  if  he  shall  pray,  and  not 
with  real  intent  of  heart;  yea,  and  it 
profiteth  him  nothing,  for  God  re- 
ceiveth  none  such."  (Ibid.,  7:9.) 

"Wherefore,  all  things  which  are 
good  cometh  of  God;  and  that  which 
is  evil  cometh  of  the  devil. .  .  ."  (Ibid., 
7:12.) 

". . .  the  devil . . .  persuadeth  no  man 
to  do  good,  no,  not  one;  neither  do  his 
angels;  neither  do  they  who  subject 
themselves  unto  him."  (Ibid.,  7:17.) 

Influence  of  Priesthood  Executive 
Committee 

It  has  been  said,  and  wisely  so,  that 
the  margin  of  difference  between  the 
causes  that  would  confer  the  priesthood 
of  God  upon  one  but  not  upon  another 
is  only  a  hair's  breadth.  Basically  men 
who  are  attracted  to  this  Church  are 
good  men.  We  need  to  find  that  good- 
ness. We  must  work  at  our  business 
that  every  man  may  speak  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  God  in  behalf  of  his  own 
family  and  then  that  he  may  work 
with  others.  This  calls  for  concerned 
individual  and  family  analysis  and 
projection  within  the  framework  of  our 
priesthood  program.  It  places  particular 
stress  upon  the  enterprise  and  action 
of  the  ward  priesthood  executive  com- 
mittee as  they,  under  the  direction  of 
the  bishopric,  will  give  direction  and 
assistance  and  counsel,  working  through 
the  priesthood  leaders  and  home  teach- 
ers, to  reach  all,  but  especially  at  first 
the  fathers,  that  they  may  be  able  to 
stand  at  the  head  of  their  own  families 
in  righteousness. 

Disparagement  should  not  exist  as 
we  strive  with  these  many  good  men 
who  are  so  close  to  the  honor  of  taking 
their  rightful  place. 

I  remember  one  man  that  we  had 
challenged  to  stop  smoking  cigarets 
that  he  might  be  prepared  to  go  to  the 
house  of  the  Lord  where  his  wife 
might  be  sealed  to  him  and  their  chil- 
dren to  them.  But  he  said  to  me,  his 
bishop,  "I  like  to  smoke,  the  greatest 


R.  DYER  85 

enjoyment  I  get  out  of  life  is  from 
smoking,"  and  then  he  added,  "I  even 
set  the  alarm  clock  throughout  the 
night  and  awaken  and  sit  on  the  edge 
of  the  bed  at  every  alarm  and  smoke  a 
cigaret."  Now  I  never  heard  of  a  habit 
any  worse  than  that. 

And  I  asked,  "Do  you  really  mean 
that?" 

He  said,  "Yes,  I  do." 

Well,  I  called  at  his  home  a  few 
evenings  later  at  10  pm.  This  was  the 
time  he  said  he  went  to  bed.  He 
greeted  me  by  saying,  "Bishop,  what 
are  you  doing  here  at  this  time  of  the 
night?" 

"Well,"  said  I,  "I  have  come  to  see 
how  you  set  the  alarm  clock." 

He  said,  "I  wouldn't  want  to  do  this 
with  you  here." 

Well,  I  stayed  deliberately  until 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  I 
thought  he  was  going  to  throw  me 
out  a  number  of  times.  I  exhausted  all 
of  my  understanding  of  these  situations 
as  I  tried  to  keep  him  interested,  but  at 
three  in  the  morning  I  said  to  him, 
"Now,  brother,  you  have  missed  five 
alarms.  Why  don't  you  go  the  rest 
of  the  night  without  a  cigaret?" 

At  that  moment  he  felt  a  sense  of 
honor  and  a  dignity  that  he  did  not 
need  to  smoke.  He  looked  at  me  with 
a  peculiar  smile  that  these  men  often 
get  when  they  make  a  decision  of  this 
kind,  and  he  said,  "All  right,  I  will." 
He  never  touched  another  cigaret. 

Habits  which  Weaken  Good  Men 

I  remember  another  man,  who  was 
a  carpenter,  who  said  that  he  couldn't 
quit.  He  smoked  two  packages  a  day, 
and  he  said,  "My  body  requires  nico- 
tine, I  have  smoked  so  long."  And  two 
packages  in  that  day  before  filters  was 
a  lot  of  nicotine.  And  he  couldn't 
change,  and  he  wouldn't  accept  the 
challenge  to  get  ready  to  be  ordained 
an  elder. 

But  something  very  strange  happened 
to  him.  He  got  hit  on  the  head  with  a 
falling  two-by-six  as  he  worked  on  the 
roof  framework  of  a  house.  His  wife 
called  me  about  the  accident,  and  I 
rushed  to  the  hospital.  When  he  re- 
gained consciousness,  he  had  lost  his 
memory.  He  didn't  know  his  wife;  he 


86  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  7965 

didn't  know  me.  He  was  that  way  for 
nearly  six  weeks.  But  the  strange  thing 
was  that  he  didn't  ask  for  a  cigaret 
once.  He  forgot  that  he  used  tobacco. 
And  on  the  day  when  he  began  to  re- 
member who  he  was  and  something  of 
his  experience,  he  asked  for  a  cigaret, 
and  the  nurse  said,  "Well,  I  didn't 
know  that  you  smoked." 

He  said,  "Of  course  I  do;  please,  may 
I  have  some  cigarets." 

"Well,"  she  said,  "you  haven't  had  a 
cigaret  for  six  weeks." 

And  then  he  remembered  the  things 
we  had  told  him,  that  it  was  in  his 
mind,  that  his  body  didn't  require  nico- 
tine, and  he  said,  "Well,  if  I  haven't 
smoked  for  six  weeks,  I  am  not  going  to 
take  up  the  habit  now."  And  he  never 
smoked  again. 

I  remember  still  another  brother,  a 
friend  of  mine,  who  had  the  habit  of 
drinking.  In  many  ways  he  was  a 
wonderful  man.  He  had  the  kindest 
heart,  but  he  had  this  weakness  which 
manifested  itself  every  time  he  was 
under  pressure  or  had  some  difficulty 
and  couldn't  seem  to  solve  his  prob- 
lem. Then  he  would  go  off  somewhere 
and  drink  into  drunkenness.  I  have 
taken  him  home  a  number  of  times, 
but  upon  this  occasion  the  police  had 
got  there  first  and  had  taken  him  to 
the  county  jail.  So  I  had  to  go  over 
there  at  the  pleadings  of  his  dear  wife, 
arriving  just  about  the  time  when  they 
were  taking  the  big  coffee  pot  around 
to  them  to  sober  them  and  send  them 
home.  When  they  came  to  him  he 
refused  to  take  the  coffee.  He  said  it 
was  against  the  Word  of  Wisdom. 

Well,  I  finally  got  him  out  in  the 
car,  and  with  the  help  of  his  wife  we 
took  him  home,  got  him  upstairs,  un- 
dressed and  ready  for  bed.  But  he  sat 
on  the  edge  of  the  bed  and  wouldn't 
get  in.   It  was  nearly  three  in  the 


Second  Day 

morning.  I  had  to  get  to  work  early  in 
the  morning,  and  I  kept  thinking, 
"Why  doesn't  he  go  to  bed?"  I  said, 
"Why  don't  you  get  in  bed  now?  Here 
you  are;  you  are  in  your  own  home." 

And  finally  after  a  short  while  he 
told  me  why  he  wouldn't  go  to  bed. 
He  said,  "I  haven't  said  my  prayers 
yet."  And  I  had  the  privilege  of  kneel- 
ing with  this  good  man.  I  see  the  good- 
ness that  is  in  these  men  that  we  have 
to  reach.  There  is  not  much  difference 
between  them  and  the  most  active. 
They  are  wonderful  men,  and  they  can 
be  corrected  from  these  habits. 

Now  I  bear  my  testimony  to  you,  my 
brethren,  that  the  abstaining  from 
harmful  indulgences  is  a  great  com- 
mandment from  the  Lord.  There  are 
many  who  say  that  it  is  only  by  way 
of  counsel,  but  I  would  say  in  response 
to  that  that  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Church  a  number  of  the  brethren  were 
excommunicated  and  reasons  given  in 
some  instances  were  because  they  had 
not  kept  the  Word  of  Wisdom.  The 
implication  that  it  is  just  something 
we  can  take  or  leave  has  never,  I  be- 
lieve, been  a  part  of  its  intent.  It  is 
the  will  of  God  and  therefore  a  com- 
mandment. These  indulgences  are  the 
things  that  frequently  keep  men  from 
receiving  the  honor  and  the  dignity  of 
the  priesthood.  I  bear  my  testimony  to 
the  effectiveness  and  reality  of  things 
that  we  can  do  to  help  them,  and  I 
do  it  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

We  have  just  listened  to  Alvin  R. 
Dyer  of  the  Assistants  to  the  Twelve. 
Elder  Sterling  W.  Sill,  also  an  Assistant 
to  the  Twelve,  will  now  speak  to  us. 
He  will  be  followed  by  Marion  D. 
Hanks  of  the  First  Council  of  Seventy. 


ELDER  STERLING  W.  SILL 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  brethren,  I  appreciate  very  much  Some  time  ago  a  friend  of  mine  who 

this  privilege  of  having  a  part  with  lives  on  the  farm  was  telling  me  that 

you  in  this  great  priesthood  brother-  as  his  sons  get  old  enough  to  share 

hood  under  which  we  receive  our  in  the  responsibility  of  farm  work,  he 

commission  to  serve  God.  arranges  for  them  to  have  a  little  land 


ELDER  STER 

to  till  or  some  farm  animals  to  raise. 
And,  of  course,  they  receive  the  com- 
pensation involved. 

"My  father's  business" 

The  Lord  also  has  that  kind  of  pro- 
gram. As  his  children  become  suffi- 
ciently mature,  he  invites  them  to 
have  a  part  in  that  great  enterprise 
that  Jesus  referred  to  as  "my  Father's 
business."  That  is  the  business  of 
building  character,  integrity,  Godli- 
ness, and  eternal  life  into  his  children. 
God  has  said  that  it  is  his  work  and 
his  glory  ".  .  .  to  bring  to  pass  the 
immortality  and  eternal  life  of  man." 
(Moses  1:39.) 

And  then  by  way  of  invitation  to 
us  he  has  said,  ".  .  .  If  ye  have  desires 
to  serve  God  ye  are  called  to  the  work;" 
(D&C  4:3.)  And  we  may  have  as  large 
a  part  as  we  are  able  to  qualify  for 
in  the  very  work  in  which  God  himself 
spends  his  entire  time.  Of  course,  we 
must  also  be  prepared  to  accept  our 
share  of  the  responsibility. 

We  have  been  given  the  priesthood, 
which  is  the  authority  to  act  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  But  we  ourselves 
must  develop  the  leadership,  which  is 
the  ability  to  act  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  And  I  suppose  that  one  is  not 
of  great  consequence  without  the 
other.  That  is,  what  good  would  come 
from  a  missionary  having  the  au- 
thority to  make  converts  if  he  did  not 
also  have  the  ability  to  make  converts? 

Our  world  itself  is  made  up  of  oppo- 
sites.  There  is  a  kind  of  north  pole 
and  south  pole  in  every  life.  We  live 
amid  the  contrasts  of  positive  and 
negative,  good  and  evil,  uphill  and 
downhill,  heaven  and  hell.  Jesus 
talked  about  the  straight  and  narrow 
way  that  leads  to  life,  but  we  must 
also  be  aware  of  the  dangers  of  that 
broad  road  that  leads  toward  death. 

Blessings,  If  You  Obey 

The  Lord  himself  has  said,  "Behold, 
I  set  before  you  this  day  a  blessing 
and  a  curse; 

"A  blessing,  if  ye  obey  the  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord  your  God, 

"And  a  curse  if  ye  .  .  .  turn  aside 


1NG  W.  SILL  87 

out  of  the  way  which  I  command  you 
this  day,  .  .  ."  (Deut.  11:26-28.)  And 
we  determine  the  direction  of  our 
lives  by  which  of  the  affinities,  antago- 
nisms, or  inclinations  we  build  into 
them.  There  is  a  natural  duality  in 
life  which  Plato  called  "the  upper  and 
the  lower  soul."  Jesus  referred  to  this 
antagonism  as  "the  spirit  and  the 
flesh,"  but  some  time  ago  a  psycholo- 
gist said  that  each  of  us  has  within 
himself  "a  life  instinct"  and  also  "a 
death  instinct." 

The  dictionary  says  that  an  "in- 
stinct" is  a  natural  aptitude  or  ten- 
dency leading  toward  a  goal.  In  in- 
troducing the  Master,  the  Apostle  John 
said,  "In  him  was  life;  and  the  life 
was  the  light  of  men."  (John  1:4.) 

The  greatest  commodity  in  the 
universe  is  life.  And  Jesus  announced 
his  own  mission  by  saying,  "I  came 
that  ye  might  have  life  and  have  it 
more  abundantly."  (See  ibid.,  10:10.) 
God  has  endowed  every  seed  with  a 
life  germ  by  which  it  is  able  to  reach 
upward  toward  better  things.  But  the 
greatest  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life, 
and  after  endowing  his  children  with 
his  own  potentialities,  he  implanted 
in  them  a  kind  of  upward  reach,  a 
natural  inclination  or  a  tendency  to 
strive  by  which  the  offspring  of  God 
may  hope  to  become  like  the  parent. 

Forces  of  Death 

But  the  life  instinct  also  has  its 
opposite.  All  around  us  we  see  the 
results  of  that  sinister  attraction  lead- 
ing toward  death  which  might  be 
compared  to  the  instinct  that  leads 
the  moth  toward  the  flame  that  will 
destroy  it.  It  is  an  interesting  fact 
that  nature  never  wearies  of  imposing 
punishment.  The  unfortunate  moth 
may  burn  off  its  wings,  blister  its 
body,  and  bum  itself  blind,  but  the 
flame  goes  on  and  on,  unmolested, 
unhurt,  unsympathetic,  and  even  un- 
aware of  the  terrible  pain  it  has  in- 
flicted. No  one  really  knows  how  se- 
vere the  torments  of  the  body  may  be. 
We  know  they  can  be  sufficient  to 
send  one  insane  or  to  bring  about  his 
death.  But  the  spirit  is  eternal;  it  can 
suffer,  but  it  cannot  die.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  a  cancellation  of  exis- 


88  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

tence.  The  chief  characteristic  of  eter- 
nal death  is  not  oblivion  but  endless 
pain  and  regret.  When  one  dies  as  to 
things  pertaining  to  righteousness, 
then  misery  and  despair  take  over  the 
control  of  life;  and  of  some  who  had 
passed  the  point  of  no  return,  the 
Lord  said,  "He  that  is  unjust,  let  him 
be  unjust  still:  and  he  which  is  filthy, 
let  him  be  filthy  still."  (Rev.  22:11.) 
And  certainly  those  who  allow  their 
better  impulses  to  die  will  be  miser- 
able forever,  as  there  can  be  no  happi- 
ness in  wickedness. 

The  most  feared  experience  of  life 
is  death.  We  instinctively  cling  to  life 
with  every  ounce  of  our  strength.  In  the 
days  of  Job  it  was  said,  ".  .  .  all  that  a 
man  hath  will  he  give  for  his  life." 
(Job  2:4.)  There  isn't  anything  that 
we  wouldn't  do,  there  is  no  expense 
that  we  would  not  involve  ourselves  in 
to  prolong  life  for  a  week  or  a  month, 
even  though  we  knew  that  that  period 
would  be  filled  with  pain  and  un- 
happiness.  But  when  John  said,  "There 
is  a  sin  unto  death:  ..."  (1  John  5:16) 
he  was  speaking  of  a  more  dreadful 
death  than  that  of  the  body.  And  Paul 
describes  this  sin  by  saying,  "For  it  is 
impossible  for  those  who  were  once 
enlightened,  and  have  tasted  of  the 
heavenly  gift,  and  were  made  partak- 
ers of  the  Holy  Ghost, 

"And  have  tasted  the  good  word  of 
God,  and  the  powers  of  the  world  to 
come, 

"If  they  shall  fall  away,  to  renew 
them  again  unto  repentance;  seeing 
they  crucify  to  themselves  the  Son 
of  God  afresh,  and  put  him  to  an 
open  shame."  (Heb.  6:4-6.)  But  this 
second  death  does  not  take  place  all 
at  once.  Spiritually  we  die  a  little  bit 
at  a  time.  Our  enthusiasm  dies,  our 
faith  dies,  and  our  ambition  dies. 

No  one  ever  gets  off  the  straight  and 
narrow  way  at  right  angles,  and  no 
sin  is  born  fully  grown.  Every  sin  is 
a  minor  one  to  begin  with.  Percentage- 
wise, very  few  people  will  ever  lose 
their  blessings  because  they  have 
become  murderers  or  sons  of  perdition. 
As  someone  has  pointed  out,  it  isn't 
the  giant  redwoods  that  trip  us  up  as 
we  walk  through  the  forest,  it's  the 
vines  and  the  underbrush. 


Second  Day 

Safeguards  Against  Forces  of 
Destruction 

And  one  of  the  most  damaging  sins 
and  one  that  gives  greatest  strength 
to  our  death  instinct  is  the  violation 
of  that  great  revelation  given  132  years 
ago  called  the  Word  of  Wisdom.  Some 
violators  of  this  law  tend  to  excuse 
themselves  because  it  appears  to  be 
such  a  small  thing.  It  seems  like  just 
a  little  disobedience,  a  little  caffeine, 
a  little  nicotine,  a  little  friendly  in- 
dulgence in  alcohol.  Yet  these  are  the 
springboards  to  disease,  broken  homes, 
immorality,  disloyalty  to  God,  physical 
death,  and  the  death  of  many  of  our 
eternal  interests. 

In  the  February  26,  1965  issue  of 
Life  magazine,  there  is  an  appalling 
article  about  the  toll  being  taken  by 
the  dope  traffic  in  the  United  States. 
And  among  its  most  damning  effects 
is  the  deadly  addiction  it  forms  and 
the  good  inclinations  that  are  de- 
stroyed by  its  craving.  Dope  users  often 
lie,  steal,  or  kill  to  satisfy  these  appe- 
tites of  death.  But  in  some  degree, 
these  same  results  are  characteristic 
of  every  sin.  Every  disobedience,  every 
dishonesty,  and  every  exercise  of  lust 
forms  an  evil  addiction  and  strength- 
ens the  death  instincts.  No  one  ever 
needs  a  recording  angel  to  look  over 
his  shoulder  to  take  notes  on  his  sins. 
Good  or  bad,  everything  that  we  do 
is  being  recorded  in  our  appetites,  our 
nervous  systems,  our  personalities,  our 
minds,  and  our  immortal  spirits. 
Every  cigaret,  every  crime,  and  every 
irreverence  is  indelibly  written  down 
in  the  person  of  its  victim.  A  violator 
of  the  man-made  laws  may  at  least 
hope  that  his  crime  will  not  be  dis- 
covered. But  for  the  violators  of  the 
laws  of  God,  there  is  no  possibility  to 
escape  punishment.  And  each  trans- 
gressor becomes  his  own  prosecutor, 
his  own  judge,  his  own  jury,  and  his 
own  executioner. 

A  violation  of  civil  law  can  put  us 
in  jail.  A  crime  against  our  health 
may  cause  us  to  be  locked  up  in  some 
wearisome  hospital  of  pain,  but  a  sin 
against  our  eternal  lives  may  give  our 
death  instincts  sufficient  power  to  cast 
us  into  the  fires  of  hell.  And  unfor- 
tunately, from  this  verdict  there  is 


ELDER  STER 

no  appeal,  for  when  we  sentence  our- 
selves to  be  dope  addicts,  alcoholics, 
moral  weaklings,  or  unprofitable  ser- 
vants, what  power  can  nullify  the 
condemnation? 

Wages  of  Sin 

The  Apostle  Paul  said,  ".  .  .  the 
wages  of  sin  is  death;  .  .  ."  (Rom. 
6:23.)  Death  is  the  irrevocable  con- 
sequence of  allowing  this  strange  affin- 
ity for  evil  to  establish  itself  in  our 
lives.  Sin  can  make  good  seem  so  un- 
attractive that  we  turn  our  backs  on 
righteousness  and  fight  against  God. 

The  other  day  a  man  who  had  wit- 
nessed the  long  agonizing  cancerous 
death  suffered  by  his  father  shot 
himself  when  the  doctor  told  him  that 
the  symptoms  indicated  that  he  might 
suffer  a  similar  fate.  Suicide  may  solve 
his  problem  so  far  as  this  life  is  con- 
cerned, but  what  about  eternity?  If  we 
so  much  dread  the  pitiful,  lingering, 
unhappy  death  of  the  body,  what 
would  it  be  like  to  endure  eternal 
death  in  one's  own  soul? 

Of  those  who  sin  unto  death  the 
Lord  has  said,  ".  .  .  it  had  been  better 
for  them  never  to  have  been  born; 

"For  they  are  vessels  of  wrath, 
doomed  to  suffer  .  .  .  with  the  devil 
and  his  angels  in  eternity; 

"Concerning  whom  I  have  said 
there  is  no  forgiveness  in  this  world 
nor  in  the  world  to  come — 

".  .  .  they  .  .  .  shall  go  away  into 
the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  with 
the  devil  and  his  angels — 

"And  [are]  the  only  ones  on  whom 
the  second  death  shall  have  any 
power."  (D&C  76:32-34,  36-37.)  And 
yet  the  most  painful  cancerous  death 
that  we  can  bring  upon  ourselves  may 
be  only  a  symbol  of  our  eternal  regret 
and  suffering. 

"To  be  spiritually  minded  is  life  and 
peace" 

But  on  the  other  side  of  our  possi- 
bility, what  a  thrilling  opportunity 
we  have  to  develop  our  life  instincts. 
We  live  in  the  greatest  age,  under  the 
most  favorable  conditions  ever  known 
in  the  world.  The  pathway  to  exal- 
tation has  been  perfectly  marked  and 


r.NG  W.  SILL  89 

brilliantly  lighted,  and  no  one  needs 
to  get  off  the  straight  and  narrow  way 
except  by  his  own  choice.  In  the  reve- 
lation the  Lord  said,  "And  all  saints 
who  remember  to  keep  and  do  these 
sayings,  walking  in  obedience  to  the 
commandments,  shall  receive  health 
in  their  navel  and  marrow  to  their 
bones; 

"And  shall  find  wisdom  and  great 
treasures  of  knowledge,  even  hidden 
treasures; 

"And  shall  run  and  not  be  weary, 
and  shall  walk  and  not  faint. 

"And  I,  the  Lord,  give  unto  them 
a  promise,  that  the  destroying  angel 
shall  pass  by  them,  as  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  not  slay  them."  (Ibid., 
89:18-21.) 

The  body  is  the  temple  of  the 
spirit,  and  both  mutually  react  upon 
each  other.  John  Locke  said,  "A  sound 
mind  in  a  sound  body  is  a  short  but 
full  description  of  a  happy  state  in 
this  world."  When  the  mind  and  the 
body  are  operating  properly  and  the 
tissues  are  crying  for  exercise,  then 
there  is  joy  and  zest  in  living.  To 
maintain  its  health  and  strength  the 
body  must  work.  Likewise,  a  healthy 
spirit  must  be  constantly  and  vigor- 
ously employed  in  doing  good.  Leth- 
argy is  a  part  of  the  death  instinct, 
whereas  righteous  zeal  builds  up  the 
life  instinct.  Probably  the  greatest 
idea  in  the  universe  is  God's  promise 
that  we  ".  .  .  might  have  life,  and 
.  .  .  have  it  more  abundantly."  (John 
10:10.)  And  our  lives  fail  to  the  ex- 
tent to  which  our  life  instincts  lose  their 
ascendency  by  tolerating  those  little 
evils  causing  our  addiction  to  sin. 

The  story  has  been  told  of  an  ex- 
plorer walking  through  an  arctic  win- 
ter. Because  he  was  tired  and  cold,  he 
decided  to  sit  down  and  rest.  After  a 
few  minutes  he  began  to  feel  better. 
The  weariness  and  unpleasantness  be- 
gan to  disappear.  Because  he  was  a 
little  drowsy,  he  decided  that  a  fifteen- 
minute  nap  would  give  him  the  help 
he  needed.  Then  suddenly  it  occurred 
to  him  that  he  was  freezing  to  death. 
In  desperation  he  jumped  to  his  feet 
and  ran  with  all  his  might.  He  was 
running  for  his  life,  and  soon  the 
blood  was  churning  through  his  veins, 


90 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Monday,  April  5,  1965 

producing  the  natural  heat  that  saved 
him  from  death. 

Through  our  world  of  opposites,  we 
are  also  running  for  our  lives,  and 
Jesus  has  indicated  what  the  amount 
of  our  effort  should  be  when  he  said, 
"O  ye  that  embark  in  the  service  of 
God,  see  that  ye  serve  him  with  all 
your  heart,  might,  mind  and  strength, 
that  ye  may  stand  blameless  before 
God  at  the  last  day."  (D&C  4:2.) 


Second  Day 

May  God  help  us  to  keep  all  of  his 
commandments,  that  in  its  best  mean- 
ing we  may  have  life  and  have  it 
more  abundantly.  This  I  pray  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

We  have  just  listened  to  Elder  Ster- 
ling W.  Sill,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve. 
We  shall  now  hear  from  Marion  D. 
Hanks  of  the  Seventies. 


ELDER  MARION  D.  HANKS 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


I  suppose  I  could  not  possibly  fail  to 
tell  you  now  what  happened  to  me  in 
Twin  Falls  some  years  ago  in  the  home 
of  the  stake  president's  counselor,  when 
two  little  girls  engaged  in  conversation 
about  the  visitor  to  the  stake  conference 
the  coming  weekend.  The  smallest  had 
been  influenced  by  the  full-time  mis- 
sionaries, who  had  impressed  her 
greatly.  She  could  hardly  wait  to  grow 
up  to  be  a  missionary;  she  wanted  to 
be  an  elder.  Her  older  sister  assured 
her  that  she  couldn't  possibly  be  an 
elder,  that  only  men  could  be  elders, 
and  she  said,  "Oh,  no.  Daddy  told  me 
that  Marion  D.  Hanks  is  coming  to 
our  conference,  and  she's  an  elder." 

There  are  some  things  we  live  with 
gratefully,  if  sometimes  patiently. 

There  is  a  poem  which  I  believe  was 
written  for  President  McKay,  though 
I  am  not  sure  the  author  knew  he 
wrote  it  for  him,  and  I  would  like  to 
take  this  chance  to  quote  it.  It  is  short 
and  impressive.  Will  you  get  the  words 
— it  says, 

"  'Tis  human  fortune's  happiest  height 
to  be 

A  spirit  melodious,  lucid,  poised,  and 
whole; 

Second  in  order  of  felicity 
To  walk  with  such  a  soul." 
(Quoted  in  O.  C.  Tanner,  Christ's 
Ideals  for  Living,  p.  v.) 

I  am  sure  I  express  your  gratitude 
for  the  privilege  of  the  walk  with  such 
a  soul. 

To  me  one  of  the  most  impressive 
sights  in  this  world  is  the  group  at 
which  I  now  look  and  what  it  repre- 


sents. Interspersed  among  you  men  are 
many  choice  youngsters.  I  had  a  chance 
to  shake  hands  with  some  a  few 
minutes  ago.  And  though  I  don't  intend 
to  talk  only  to  them  or  especially  to 
them  in  the  few  minutes  I  stand  here, 
I  would  like  to  be  able  to  feel  that 
they  understand  what  I  am  saying, 
and  I  am  going  to  try  to  do  that.  If 
they  do,  I  think  the  rest  of  us  will. 

"How  Lucky  Can  You  Be!" 

Brother  Hinckley  gave  us  a  wonder- 
ful sermon  this  afternoon.  I'm  hopeful 
that  all  will  have  a  chance  to  read  it. 
It  revolved  around  an  experience  with 
mature,  successful,  effective,  intelli- 
gent men  in  varying  degrees  of  involve- 
ment or  noninvolvement  with  tobacco. 
As  he  spoke  the  words  of  them,  which 
he  applied  to  himself,  I  applied  them 
to  myself;  and  you  who  are  here  were 
doing  likewise,  I  feel  sure:  "How  lucky 
can  you  be." 

I  thought  of  an  experience  that  oc- 
curred on  these  grounds  a  few  years 
ago  when  an  internationally  known 
nutritionist  and  research  scientist, 
who  had  flown  here  from  Stockholm 
for  the  express  purpose  of  looking  at 
us  and  getting  something  of  our  story, 
sat  across  the  desk  with  a  copy  of  the 
Doctrine  and  Covenants  opened  to  sec- 
tion 89,  of  which  and  from  which  we 
have  been  speaking  tonight.  I  had 
asked  him  a  question,  and  I  was  very 
much  interested  in  his  answer.  He  had 
been  a  bit  combative,  or  at  least  de- 
fensive along  the  route.  I  said  to  him, 
"Dr.  Waerland,  what  would  you  think 


ELDER  MARK 

of  a  young  man,  27  years  of  age,  who 
wrote  that  document  more  than  120 
years  ago?" 

He  said,  "I  would  say  that  he  was 
120  years  ahead  of  his  time."  He  then 
talked  of  some  of  the  nutritional,  af- 
firmative aspects  of  the  Word  of  Wis- 
dom. He  talked  of  the  discoveries  of 
science  and  of  his  own  researches,  and 
said  that  every  suggestion  of  the  Word 
of  Wisdom  was  affirmative  and  valid. 

I  said  again,  "What  would  you  think 
of  a  prophet  who  knew  all  that  long 
ago,  without  any  special  preparation 
or  training  in  the  sense  you  have  had 
it?" 

And  he  said  again,  "I  am  not  a 
religious  man,  and  I  know  little  of 
prophets,  but  whoever  wrote  that  docu- 
ment was  120  years  ahead  of  his  time." 

Investment  in  Health 

How  fortunate  can  we  be?  Many  of 
us  are  not  acquainted  with  the  facts, 
though  many  of  us  are,  that  in  this 
world  there  are  many  choice  forces 
seeking  the  same  ends  we  are  when  we 
teach  this  great  principle  of  health.  One 
who  represented  an  interesting  view- 
point was  Thomas  A.  Edison,  thought 
by  many  to  be  the  greatest  creative 
genius  this  world  has  known.  In  his 
diary  he  wrote  these  words,  and  I 
would  hope  that  every  young  Latter- 
day  Saint  who  sometimes  feels  uneasy 
in  the  peculiarities  or  uniqueness  of 
his  own  health  viewpoints  would  re- 
member them  or  have  access  to  them. 
Edison  is  talking  about  ways  of  living 
and  thinking  and  working.  He  says, 
"The  useful  man  never  leads  the  easy, 
sheltered,  knockless,  unshocked  life.  At 
36  he  ought  to  be  prepared  to  deal  with 
realities,  and  after  about  that  period 
in  his  life,  until  he  is  60,  he  should 
be  able  to  handle  them  with  a  steadily 
increasing  efficiency.  Subsequently,  if 
he  has  not  injured  his  body  by  excess 
indulgence  in  any  of  the  narcotics  (and 
by  this  term  I  mean  liquor,  tobacco, 
tea,  and  coffee),  and  if  he  has  not 
eaten  to  excess,  he  very  likely  may  con- 
tinue to  be  achievingly  efficient  up  to 
his  80th  birthday,  and  in  exceptional 
cases  until  90  " 


N  D.  HANKS  91 

The  Nature  of  Alcohol 

Now,  I  interpolated  no  words,  all 
of  those  are  his.  He  identifies  narcotics 
specifically  and  interestingly  as  sub- 
stances with  which  we  as  a  Church 
have  been  at  odds  since  God  spoke  to 
a  boy-prophet  a  long  time  ago. 

I  cannot  forget  an  occasion  when  Dr. 
John  A.  Widtsoe,  whom  you  will  re- 
member as  a  great  scientist  as  well  as  a 
great  Latter-day  Saint  leader,  was  one 
of  a  group  of  panelists  at  a  university. 
Two  others,  also  representing  religious 
points  of  view,  preceded  him.  One 
attempted  to  make  an  accommodation 
to  work  out  an  acceptable  approach  to 
moderation  in  drink.  The  next  was  a 
fine  young  minister  of  the  gospel,  and 
he  with  measured  but  very  emphatic 
phrases  objected  to  all  that  his  pre- 
decessor had  said,  and  added,  "As  a 
people,  and  particularly  as  a  group  of 
young  leaders  in  my  church,  we  believe 
alcohol  to  be  a  tool  of  the  devil,  and 
we  are  against  it."  Dr.  Widtsoe  stood 
and  very  quietly  and  graciously  said, 
"We  link  arms  with  this  choice  young 
man  and  those  who  walk  with  him 
because  his  view  I  accept  and  believe 
to  be  our  own."  And  then,  he  said, 
"Because  I  have  a  little  time  allotted 
and  because  my  background  happens 
to  be  chemistry  and  its  research,  let  me 
talk  to  you  of  the  nature  of  alcohol." 
I  understood  that  he  was  linking  arms 
with  other  good  people  of  honest  in- 
tent who  were  seeking  to  teach  the 
truth  about  substances  that  are  not 
good  for  the  human  body. 

The  Cleanness  and  Integrity  of  the 
Human  Body 

Now,  the  Lord  has  given  us  a  great 
program  of  health,  but  not  infrequently 
I  expect  some  of  us  don't  tell  our 
young  people  and  maybe  fail  to  recall 
ourselves  that  this  program  is  based 
on  marvelous  fundamental  eternal 
principles.  You  will  remember  that  in 
the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  in  a  great 
section  received  in  1832,  a  great  revela- 
tion, the  Lord  says,  ".  .  .  the  spirit  and 
the  body  are  the  soul  of  man."  (D&C 
88:15.)  A  little  later  he  revealed  again 
the  truth  that  the  elements — that  is, 
the  elements  that  make  up  our  body — 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


92 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

and  the  spirit  in  us,  when  they  are 
combined,  permit  us  to  have  a  fulness 
of  joy.  These  are  eternally  important 
principles.  They  go  hand  in  hand  with 
the  great  truth  that  God  lives,  that  he 
is  the  Father  of  the  spirits  of  all  man- 
kind, that  mortal  life  has  a  great  mean- 
ing in  the  eternal  journey  man  makes, 
and  that  one  of  the  great  purposes  of 
mortal  life  is  to  take  upon  ourselves 
a  mortal  body  (the  elements),  because 
in  our  eternal  experience  there  will 
come  a  time  of  reunion  of  body  and 
spirit.  You  see,  young  men,  when  we 
die,  as  surely  we  do,  the  body  goes 
to  the  tomb.  The  spirit  persists,  it  goes 
on,  it  lives.  You  will  be  you,  and  I 
will  be  I,  each  will  be  himself.  Yes, 
there  is  a  break  in  the  eternal  journey, 
but  the  break  is  only  for  the  body.  The 
spirit  goes  on,  and  then  one  day  in 
God's  wisdom  and  through  his  power 
the  body  will  be  reconstituted  (in  a 
way  I  do  not  know,  and  the  detail  is  of 
no  great  consequence  to  me),  resur- 
rected, and  the  body  and  the  spirit  will 
recombine:  ". . .  the  spirit  and  the  body 
are  the  soul  of  man."  (Ibid.,  88:15.) 
That's  one  big  reason  why  it  is  very 
important  that  we  understand  the 
fundamental  principles  upon  which 
this  great  program  rests.  It  is  vital  that 
we  do  everything  we  can  to  preserve 
in  honor  and  cleanliness  and  integrity 
this  mortal  body.  It  is  part  of  our 
eternal  soul. 

I  remember  reading  a  statement  by  a 
great  person  who  said  that  this  is  one 
of  the  paradoxes  of  modern  Christian- 
ity. It  makes  the  body  a  very  useless, 
negative,  evil  thing,  and  yet  teaches, 
theoretically  at  least,  the  reality  of  a 
resurrection  in  which  this  body  is  part 
of  an  eternal  soul.  There  is  no  such 
difficulty  in  the  philosophy  God  has 
permitted  us  to  understand.  The  body  is 
a  nonevil  component  of  the  eternal  soul. 
That's  one  big  reason  why  we  ought  to 
be  anxious  to  keep  it  clean,  anxious 
to  be  interested  to  keep  from  it  the 
substances  that  would  harm  it — and 
not  alone  it,  but  the  rest  of  us.  Have 
you  ever  heard  these  words  of  Goethe, 
the  great  German:  "The  whole  pur- 
pose of  the  world  seems  to  be  to  provide 
a  physical  basis  for  the  growth  of  the 
spirit," 


Second  Day 

The  Temple  in  which  the  Spirit  Dwells 

Now,  in  effect,  and  perhaps  with 
some  limitations  of  understanding, 
Goethe  was  talking  about  what  Paul 
said.  Paul  said  that  this  is  a  temple, 
this  body  in  which  the  Spirit  of  God 
dwells  (see  1  Cor.  3:16) — a  spirit 
child  of  God.  And  Paul  thus  expressed 
his  understanding  that  it  is  our  obliga- 
tion to  keep  it  clean  and  pure  and,  so 
far  as  we  are  able,  free  from  the  in- 
trusions of  that  which  would  harm  it. 

"A  principle  with  a  promise" 

Now  let  me  say,  as  I  conclude,  one 
other  thing.  This  is  a  principle  with  a 
promise.  For  years,  young  and  some 
older  people  have  been  coming  to  me 
asking  me  to  define  substances  or  list 
them  which  were  not  to  be  used.  And 
I  have  tried  to  reply  with  the  words  of 
the  Lord:  This  is  a  principle  with  a 
promise.  (See  D&C  89:3.)  What  is  the 
principle?  As  I  understand  it,  the  prin- 
ciple is  that  everything  that  God  has 
provided  for  us  that  is  good  we  should 
use  with  thanksgiving,  with  judgment, 
with  prudence,  and  not  in  excess. 
Everything  that  isn't  good  for  us  we 
should  let  alone.  I  understand  that  to 
be  the  heart  of  the  principle.  And  the 
promise?  The  promise  is  that  if  we 
will  obey  the  principle  through  obedi- 
ence we  will  get  better  health,  greater 
knowledge  and  wisdom,  and  wonder- 
ful spiritual  blessings.  There  are  so 
many  examples  of  these  great  truths 
that  I  would  like  to  tell  you  about, 
but  let  me  mention  one.  As  I  walked 
to  this  building  this  very  afternoon,  I 
heard  a  man  say  to  his  companion 
(and  I  didn't  recognize  either,  nor  do 
I  think  they  were  part  of  the  conference 
group,  and  I  know  nothing  of  the 
genesis  of  the  statement  or  its  circum- 
stances, but  I  report  accurately  what 
he  said) :  "When  he  gets  a  few  drinks 
in  him,  he  is  really  ugly  and  mean." 

I'm  not  sure  anybody  can  improve 
upon  that  description  of  one  who 
makes  the  mistake  of  getting  involved 
in  a  substance  that  dulls  his  judgment, 
that  inhibits  his  natural  anxiety  to 
control  himself,  that  imposes  upon  his 
will. 

God  bless  us  to  have  the  courage  of 
conviction  to  live  the  principle  and 


PRESIDENT  NATHAN  ELDON  TANNER 


93 


therefore  inherit  the  promise,  and  to 
be  courageous  enough  as  we  mingle 
with  those  who  do  not  understand  the 
principle,  to  appreciate  their  value 
and  their  worth,  and  share  with  them, 
as  they  will  permit,  the  important 
reasons  why  we  should  be  concerned 
to  be  obedient  to  this  law  of  God,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

We  have  just  listened  to  Marion  D. 
Hanks  of  the  First  Council  of  Seventy. 


Elder  Richard  P.  Condie  will  now  lead 
the  chorus  and  congregation  in  singing, 
"Come,  O  Thou  King  of  Kings." 


The  Choir  and  congregation  sang 
the  hymn,  "Come,  Oh  Thou  King  of 
Kings." 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

President  Nathan  Eldon  Tanner  of 
the  First  Presidency  will  now  address 
us. 


PRESIDENT  NATHAN  ELDON  TANNER 

First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 


It's  good  to  be  here,  my  brethren,  and 
to  partake  of  the  Spirit  that  has  been 
here  with  us  this  evening  and  to  hear 
the  admonition  which  is  good  for  all 
of  us.  All  I  wish  to  say  on  the  Word 
of  Wisdom  this  evening  is  to  tell  you 
an  experience  which  I  told  you  once 
before.  When  I  was  driving  along  and 
had  two  young  men  with  me  in  my 
car,  and  a  young  man  thumbed  a  ride 
with  us,  I  asked  the  boys  who  were 
with  me  if  we  should  take  him  with 
us,  and  they  said  yes.  I  picked  him  up, 
and  after  we  had  driven  along  a  little 
way  he  said,  "Do  you  mind  if  I  smoke 
in  your  car?"  I  said,  "No,  not  at  all  if 
you  can  give  me  any  good  reason  why 
you  should  smoke."  And  I  said,  "I  will 
go  farther  than  that."  (I  was  stake 
president  at  this  time.)  "If  you  can 
give  me  a  good  reason  why  you  should 
smoke,  I  will  smoke  with  you." 

Well,  these  two  young  men  looked 
at  me  and  wondered.  We  drove  on  for 
some  distance,  about  twenty  minutes, 
I  think,  and  I  turned  around  and 
said,  "Aren't  you  going  to  smoke?" 
And  he  said,  "No."  I  said,  "Why  not?" 
And  he  said,  "I  can't  think  of  a  good 
reason  why  I  should." 

I  would  like  that  word  to  go  to  all 
of  our  young  men,  and  when  you  can 
think  of  a  good  reason,  and  only  when 
you  can,  then  begin  to  smoke. 

Read  the  Book  of  Mormon  Before 
Christmas 

At  the  priesthood  meeting  in  October, 
I  reminded  you  that  President  Joseph 


Fielding  Smith  had  said  a  year  before 
that  we  should  all  read  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  I  said  that  I  had  read  it,  and 
I  appealed  to  all  under  the  sound  of 
my  voice  to  read  the  Book  of  Mormon 
before  Christmas.  I  am  happy  to  report 
that  I  received  letters,  telegrams,  and 
people  told  me  orally  as  they  met  me 
on  the  street,  as  they  came  into  my 
office,  and  over  the  telephone,  from 
some  young  boys  in  Montreal,  Canada, 
to  the  General  Authorities  who  said,  "I 
read  the  Book  of  Mormon  as  you  asked 
me  to  do,  and  I  appreciated  this  chal- 
lenge and  have  enjoyed  reading  the 
Book  of  Mormon." 

Now  I  have  two  letters  here  that  I 
should  like  to  read  to  you:  "Marg  and 
I  have  accepted  your  challenge  to  re- 
read the  Book  of  Mormon  and  have 
extended  it  to  include  Steve.  We  have 
spent  several  pleasant  evenings  taking 
turns  reading  to  each  other  and  ex- 
plaining passages  to  Steve.  Though  he 
is  only  eight  he  grasps  the  story  very 
clearly.  It  gives  him  an  opportunity  to 
learn  new  words  and  meet  new  ideas 
that  will  be  of  value  to  him  through- 
out his  life.  We  are  enjoying  this  rich 
experience  and  thank  you  for  the  chal- 
lenge." 

Another  letter  which  I  received: 

"Dear  President  Tanner, 

"I  am  the  young  boy,  twelve  years 
of  age,  you  challenged  to  read  the 
Book  of  Mormon  after  General  Priest- 
hood outside  the  temple  grounds  on  the 
sidewalk  by  the  drinking  fountain. 

"I  want  to  thank  you  for  the  chal- 


94  GENERAL  C 

Monday,  April  5,  1965 

lenge.  It  was  a  great  opportunity  for 
me  to  work  to  accomplish  the  goal  set 
by  you,  and  it  strengthened  my  testi- 
mony of  the  gospel  a  great  deal. 

"I  would  have  written  to  you  sooner, 
but  I  had  some  passages  and  some 
scriptures  to  memorize  for  my  certifi- 
cate of  award. 

"I  know  that  the  Book  of  Mormon 
is  true,  and  it  has  helped  me  to  be- 
come a  better  boy." 

I  might  say  that  I  received  written 
replies  from  261,  and  I  am  sure  there 
were  many  more  who  did  not  take  the 
time  to  write,  and  I  didn't  expect  any- 
one to  write. 

Great  Commandments:  Love  God  and 
Neighbor 

Now  this  evening  I  had  hoped  to 
talk  to  you  for  a  little  while  on  the 
answer  that  Jesus  gave  to  the  lawyer 
who,  tempting  him,  said, 

"Master,  which  is  the  great  com- 
mandment in  the  law? 

"Jesus  said  unto  him,  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
all  thy  mind. 

"This  is  the  first  and  great  com- 
mandment. 

"And  the  second  is  like  unto  it, 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thy- 
self." (Matt.  22:36-39.) 

I  won't  have  time  to  deal  with  that 
as  it  refers  to  "thy  neighbour,"  other 
than  I  would  like  to  say  this:  I  should 
like  you  to  include  as  your  first  neigh- 
bor the  neighbor  to  whom  you  are 
most  directly  responsible,  and  that  is 
the  neighbor  who  lives  in  your  house 
with  you,  your  wife  and  your  children. 

Wife,  Your  Neighbor 

Brethren,  I  have  had  a  number  of 
women  in  my  experience  come  to  me 
because  they  were  not  loved  in  the 
home.  That  is  just  too  bad.  It  is  a 
condition  that  just  cannot  exist  where 
we  have  the  priesthood  at  the  head  of 
the  home.  Surely  a  man  thinks  as  much 
of  his  wife  as  he  does  of  someone  else 
who  comes  into  the  home,  and  surely 
he  is  prepared  to  treat  her  with  the 
same  courtesy,  the  same  consideration, 
as  he  would  a  stranger  coming  into  the 


Second  Day 

home.  Yet  I  remember  as  a  boy  going 
to  homes  where  that  was  not  true.  And 
I  remember  going  into  homes  where  it 
was  true,  and  the  difference  in  those 
homes  was  very  noticeable. 

Brethren,  if  I  gave  you  any  challenge 
tonight,  it  is  to  go  home  and,  when  you 
go  into  the  house,  express  appreciation 
to  that  wife  who  is  there,  and  let  those 
children  know  that  you  love  them, 
and  don't  be  afraid  to  do  it. 

Goodwill,  a  Missionary  Essential 

When  I  was  in  the  mission  field 
interviewing  missionaries  I  thought  it 
was  a  very  important  thing  for  them 
to  have  love  in  their  hearts  if  they  were 
going  to  preach  the  gospel  and  be  rep- 
resentatives, ambassadors,  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  I  asked  those  mis- 
sionaries every  time  if  they  loved  the 
Lord,  and  they  said  yes.  And  I  said, 
"How  does  he  know?"  And  they  said, 
"Well,  we  have  told  him." 

The  Lord  said,  "If  you  love  me,  you 
will  keep  my  commandments."  (See 
John  14:15.)  That's  the  way  he  knows. 
Then  I  asked  those  boys,  "How  many 
of  you  love  your  mothers?"  There 
wasn't  an  exception.  I  said,  "How 
many  times  have  you  told  your  mother 
you  love  her?"  And  on  many  occasions 
the  answer  was,  "I  don't  know  when 
I  told  her  or  how  many  times  I  have 
told  her,"  or,  "I  don't  think  I  ever 
told  my  mother  I  love  her." 

Imagine,  any  young  man,  an  elder, 
out  representing  this  Church,  having 
never  told  his  mother  that  he  loved 
her.  Do  you  know  why  he  hasn't? 
Because  his  father  didn't  tell  his  wife 
that  he  loved  her. 

I  felt  like  writing  to  the  fathers  of 
those  boys  every  time,  but  each  time  I 
had  that  boy  promise  me  that  he 
would  sit  down  and  write  a  letter  and 
say,  "Mother,  I  love  you,"  and  tell 
her  why  he  loved  her.  It  is  so  impor- 
tant, brethren.  Don't  let  another  day 
go  by  without  telling  your  wife  you 
love  her,  how  fortunate  you  are  to  have 
her,  how  much  you  think  of  her.  And 
do  what  you  can  to  make  her  believe 
it.  Be  the  same  with  your  children. 
"There  is  beauty  all  around  when 
there's  love  at  home."  Be  courteous.  Be 
considerate.  Be  kind.  I  don't  know  of 


PRESIDENT  NATHAN  ELDON  TANNER 


95 


anything  that  is  more  important,  and 
I  think  I  am  agreeing  with  the  Lord 
when  he  says  the  same  thing,  "And 
the  second  is  like  unto  it.  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself,"  and 
surely  the  most  important  neighbor  is 
the  one  who  lives  with  you  in  your 
home. 

Commandment-keeping,  Evidence  of 
Love 

Now,  if  we  love  the  Lord  God  with 
all  our  hearts  and  with  all  our  souls 
and  with  all  our  minds,  as  he  said,  we 
will  keep  his  commandments.  And  we 
who  hold  the  priesthood  of  God  have 
a  covenant  from  the  Lord  which  we 
read  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants, 
section  84,  verses  33  to  40: 

Covenant  of  the  Priesthood 

"For  whoso  is  faithful  unto  the  ob- 
taining these  two  priesthoods  of  which 
I  have  spoken,  and  the  magnifying 
their  calling,  are  sanctified  by  the 
Spirit,"  as  Brother  Hanks  said,  "unto 
the  renewing  of  their  bodies." 

What  an  example  we  have  before 
us  tonight.  "They  become  the  sons  of 
Moses  and  of  Aaron  and  the  seed  of 
Abraham,  and  the  church  and  kingdom, 
and  the  elect  of  God. 

"And  also  all  they  who  receive  this 
priesthood  receive  me,  saith  the  Lord; 

"For  he  that  receiveth  my  servants 
receiveth  me; 

"And  he  that  receiveth  me  receiveth 
my  Father; 

"And  he  that  receiveth  my  Father 
receiveth  my  Father's  kingdom;  there- 
fore all  that  my  Father  hath  shall  be 
given  unto  him. 

"And  this  is  according  to  the  oath 
and  covenant  which  belongeth  to  the 
priesthood." 

I  hope  every  stake  president  in  this 
Church,  when  he  interviews  a  young 
man  who  is  to  be  advanced  in  the 
priesthood  and  ordained  an  elder,  reads 
this  covenant  and  explains  it  to  him: 
"And  this  is  according  to  the  oath  and 
covenant  which  belongeth  to  the  priest- 
hood. 

"Therefore,  all  those  who  receive  the 
priesthood,  receive  this  oath  and  cove- 
nant of  my  Father,  which  he  cannot 
break,  neither  can  it  be  moved." 


Who  cannot  break?  The  Lord  cannot 
break.  That  is  the  only  thing  I  know 
the  Lord  cannot  do,  is  break  a  cove- 
nant that  he  has  made  with  his  people; 
and  when  he  says,  "All  that  I  have  is 
thine,"  (see  ibid.,  84:38)  I  would  like 
to  know,  my  brethren,  what  more  we 
could  ask  for;  and  all  we  need  to  do 
is  to  keep  the  commandments  and 
magnify  our  priesthood.  Accept  re- 
sponsibility, brethren,  and  when  you 
accept  responsibility,  carry  out  the 
responsibility  that  is  placed  upon  you. 

It  has  been  a  great  strength  to  my 
testimony,  to  my  appreciation  of  what 
this  Church  means  and  the  strength 
it  has  as  I  have  interviewed  men  to 
be  set  apart  to  preside  over  missions 
and  over  stakes,  and  those  who  have 
been  chosen  to  be  bishops.  Since  being 
in  this  office  and  interviewing  men 
for  any  of  these  offices,  I  have  never 
had  an  individual,  regardless  of  his 
condition,  but  who  has  said,  "If  this 
is  a  call,  I  will  go  when  you  want  me 
to  go,  where  you  want  me  to  go,  and 
remain  as  long  as  you  want  me  to 
stay." 

Now,  brethren,  what  a  testimony!  I 
am  sure  all  of  us  would  do  the  same 
thing,  but  as  Brother  Sill  says,  it  isn't 
a  big  redwood  tree  that  is  going  to  trip 
us  up;  it's  the  underbrush  in  life.  Any 
of  us  would  accept  the  great  call,  but 
will  we  live  every  day,  magnifying  our 
priesthood  and  doing  what  the  Lord 
wants  us  to  do? 


World's  Greatest  Brotherhood 

Now,  I  want  to  give  you  this  thought, 
brethren,  that  we  who  hold  the  priest- 
hood of  God  are  members  of  the  great- 
est brotherhood  in  the  world.  We  are 
expected  to  love  one  another  and  not 
judge  our  brother.  If  anyone  here  to- 
night has  ill  feelings  or  aught  against 
his  brother,  I  urge,  as  the  Savior  has 
admonished,  that  we  all  forgive  one 
another  and  show  our  love  for  him. 
No  matter  who  you  are,  ill  feelings  or 
a  desire  to  hinder  or  hurt  your  brother 
will  canker  your  soul,  keep  you  from 
enjoying  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  as  you 
could  if  you  would  love  and  forgive. 
Under  no  conditions  should  anyone 
holding  the  priesthood  wish  to  harm 


96 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

or  hurt  his  brother.  We  must  keep  that 
in  mind. 

Coming  back  to  this  thought  that  I 
expressed,  if  we  love  the  Lord,  we  will 
keep  his  commandments,  we  will  ac- 
cept calls  that  come  to  us  and  magnify 
the  priesthood  and  carry  out  the  re- 
sponsibility. 

Now  in  closing  I  should  like  to  read 
a  letter  that  I  received  from  a  young 
doctor.  This  is  dated  January  26,  1965: 

"It  has  been  a  little  over  a  year  since 
you  set  me  apart  to  my  calling  on  the 
priesthood  committee.  I  have  been  so 
thrilled  with  the  experiences  of  the 
past  year  and  the  tremendous  blessings 
that  this  calling  has  brought  into  my 
life  and  that  of  my  family,  as  well  as 
my  associates  at  the  clinic,  that  I 
thought  I  would  like  to  write  you  con- 
cerning two  or  three  of  these  items. 

"In  your  blessing  to  me,  the  promise 
was  made  that  my  practice  would  not 
suffer  during  my  absences  from  it. 
During  the  past  year,  my  calling  took 
me  away  from  the  practice  84  days. 
An  additional  six  days  were  spent  at- 
tending the  April  and  October  confer- 
ences, all  of  which  made  a  total  of  90 
days  absence." 

Listen,  brethren:  "As  I  mentioned  to 
you  before,  my  colleagues  are  very  will- 
ing to  support  me  or  any  of  us  in 
church  responsibilities  and  were  pleased 
to  vicariously  share  the  experiences  and 
blessings  I  enjoyed.  During  our  busi- 
ness meeting  earlier  this  month,  at 
which  time  we  made  an  accounting  of 
our  past  year's  production,  we  were  all 
surprisingly  shocked  to  see  that  in  spite 
of  my  absences,  my  gross  production 
was  the  highest  of  all  the  partners. 
During  last  year,  my  admissions  to  the 
hospital  also  outnumbered  each  of  the 
other  partners,  and  for  that  matter,  all 
of  the  doctors  in  the  community.  Dur- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

ing  the  year  1964,  I  had  no  deaths  in 
my  practice.  Certainly  the  windows  of 
heaven  have  been  opened  unto  me 
and  unto  my  associates  in  that  we  have 
never  prospered  better  as  a  family  or  as 
a  clinic  than  we  have  during  the  past 
year!  It  is  a  testimony  to  all  of  us  of 
how  the  Lord  blesses  us  for  living  the 
law  of  consecration  in  even  a  small 
way. 

"Again,  I  am  thrilled  with  this  call- 
ing and  the  opportunity  to  serve  the 
Lord  and  you  brethren  and  appreciate 
very  much  this  privilege." 

Brethren,  may  we  realize  what  a 
great  privilege  it  is  for  us  to  hold  the 
priesthood  of  God,  which  is  the  power 
of  God  to  act  in  his  name,  and  may 
we  magnify  our  calling,  that  it  may  be 
possible  for  us  to  enjoy  immortality 
and  eternal  life,  I  humbly  pray  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

The  men  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
will  now  sing,  "The  Lord  Bless  You 
and  Keep  You."  J.  Burns  Beal,  presi- 
dent of  the  Lost  River  Stake,  will  of- 
fer the  benediction.  Brother  Condie  has 
suggested  that  the  chorus  be  permitted 
to  sing  after  singing  this  number  Pres- 
ident McKay's  choice  of  all  the  hymns: 
"I  Need  Thee  Every  Hour."  They 
wanted  to  do  this  in  honor  to  our 
President. 


The  Men  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
sang  "The  Lord  Bless  You  and  Keep 
You,"  and  as  concluding  number  sang 
the  hymn,  "I  Need  Thee  Every  Hour." 

The  closing  prayer  was  offered  by 
President  Joseph  Burns  Beal  of  the  Lost 
River  Stake. 

Conference  adjourned  until  Tuesday, 
April  6th  at  10:00  a.  m. 


THIRD  DAY 

MORNING  MEETING 

Conference    reconvened    Tuesday,  ner,  Second  Counselor  in  the  First 

April  6th,  at  10:00  a.  m.  Presidency,  conducted  the  services. 

President  David   O.   McKay   was  The  choral  music  for  this  session 

present  and  presided.    At  the  Presi-  was  furnished  by  the  Logan  L.  D.  S. 

dent's  request  President  N.  Eldon  Tan-  Institute  of  Religion  Choir,  conducted 


PRESIDENT  NATH/ 

by  James  Bradley,  with  Roy  M.  Darley 
at  the  organ. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

We  all  feel  blessed  in  having  with 
us  this  morning  our  beloved  President 
and  Prophet,  David  O.  McKay,  who 
has  been  presiding  and  will  continue 
to  preside  at  the  different  sessions  of 
this  conference.  He  has  asked  that  I 
conduct  this  session. 

For  the  information  of  those  who 
are  tuned  in  by  radio  and  television, 
we  are  pleased  to  announce  that  we 
are  assembled  in  the  famed  Tabernacle 
on  Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City  in 
the  sixth  session  of  the  135th  annual 
conference  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints.  These  services  are 
being  broadcast  in  the  Assembly  Hall. 
Those  who  may  be  standing  at  the 
doors  may  possibly  find  seats  in  that 
building.  This  session  of  the  confer- 
ence will  be  broadcast  as  a  public 
service  over  television  and  radio  sta- 
tions throughout  the  west.  The  names 
of  the  stations  were  announced  prior 
to  the  beginning  of  this  meeting.  We 
again  express  our  appreciation  for  this 
service  that  is  being  rendered  by  these 
stations.  Both  of  the  sessions  today  will 
be  rebroadcast  over  KSL  radio  tomor- 
row morning,  Wednesday,  starting  at 
1:00  a.m.  to  5  a.m.  and  can  be  heard 
in  many  parts  of  the  United  States 
including  Alaska  and  in  Canada,  Mex- 
ico, the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  and  in 
many  other  parts  of  the  world. 

Monday  evening  an  inspirational 
meeting  of  the  priesthood  of  the  Church 
was  held  in  the  Tabernacle.  The  pro- 
ceedings of  this  meeting  were  relayed 
by  closed  circuit  broadcast  originating 
in  the  Tabernacle  to  members  of  the 
priesthood  assembled  in  approximately 
400  separate  locations  in  all  parts  of 
the  United  States  and  Canada.  It  is 
estimated  that  70,000  holders  of  the 
priesthood  participated  in  this  meet- 
ing. Members  of  the  First  Presidency, 
Elders  Alvin  R.  Dyer,  Sterling  W. 
Sill,  Assistants  to  the  Twelve;  Marion 
D.  Hanks  of  the  First  Council  of  Sev- 
enty, were  the  speakers  on  that  oc- 
casion. And  regarding  our  conference 
and  our  meeting  last  night,  I  have  here 
a  letter  from  BYU.  "Last  night  in  the 


f  ELDON  TANNER  97 

George  Albert  Smith  field  house  on  the 
Brigham  Young  University  campus, 
7,002  members  of  the  priesthood  heard 
the  proceedings  of  the  inspiring  Gen- 
eral Priesthood  meeting  by  special 
closed  circuit  television  broadcast.  The 
giant  screen  approximately  15  feet 
square  brought  us  right  into  the  Tab- 
ernacle with  you.  It  was  a  glorious 
experience." 

Then  we  have  wires  from  the  South 
African  Mission,  North  Argentine  Mis- 
sion, the  New  Zealand  South  Mission, 
and  the  Southern  Far  East  Mission,  all 
joining  with  us  and  saying  that  they 
are  enjoying  the  conference. 

We  are  pleased  to  note  the  attend- 
ance this  morning  of  special  guests, 
prominent  state  and  city  officials, 
and  leaders  in  the  field  of  education. 
We  extend  a  cordial  welcome  to  them. 
We  are  also  pleased  to  welcome  our 
stake  and  ward  officers  from  near  and 
far,  the  temple  presidencies  and  the 
general  auxiliary  officers  of  the  Church, 
and  all  who  are  gathered  in  this  his- 
toric building  this  morning.  We  also 
extend  a  hearty  welcome  to  those  who 
are  tuning  in  by  radio  and  television. 
_  The  singing  for  this  morning's  ses- 
sion will  be  furnished  by  the  Logan 
LDS  Institute  of  Religion  Choir  con- 
ducted by  James  Bradley,  with  Roy  M. 
Darley  at  the  organ.  We  wish  to  wel- 
come this  choir,  express  our  apprecia- 
tion to  them  for  coming,  and  pray  that 
they  will  be  able  to  render  their  num- 
bers as  they  would  like  to  do  today. 

We  shall  begin  these  services  by  the 
choir  singing,  "The  Creation"  con- 
ducted by  James  L.  Bradley.  The  invo- 
cation will  be  offered  by  Elder 
Willard  Smith  Wray,  president  of  the 
Blackfoot  Stake. 


Singing  by  the  Choir,  "The  Crea- 
tion." 

Elder  Willard  Smith  Wray,  President 
of  the  Blackfoot  Stake,  offered  the  in- 
vocation. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

The  Logan  Institute  of  Religion 
Choir  will  now  favor  us  with  "I  Know 
that  My  Redeemer  Lives."  After  the 
singing  Elder  Joseph  W.  Anderson, 
clerk  of  the  conference,  will  read  some 
important  statistics  of  the  Church. 


98 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

The  Logan  Institute  Choir  sang  the 
hymn,  "I  Know  That  My  Redeemer 
Lives." 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

Elder  Joseph  W.  Anderson,  clerk  of 


Third  Day 

the  conference,  will  read  for  your  in- 
formation some  important  statistical 
data  concerning  the  Church.  Brother 
Anderson  will  be  followed  by  Elder 
Orval  W.  Adams,  who  will  give  a  re- 
port of  the  Church  Finance  Commit- 
tee. 


STATISTICAL  REPORT  1964 


The  First  Presidency  has  issued  the  following  statistical  report  concerning  the 
membership  of  the  Church  at  the  end  of  the  year  1964. 

Number  of  Stakes  of  Zion  at  close  of  1964    400 

An  increase  of  11  Stakes  during  the  year 

Number  of  Wards    3,160 

Number  of  Independent  Branches  in  Stakes    589 


Total  Wards  and  Independent  Branches  in  Stakes  at  close  of  year 

Number  of  Mission  Branches  at  close  of  year   

Number  of  Full-Time  Missions  at  end  of  year 

(Not  including  Area  Supervisory  Missions)   


Church  Membership,  December  31,  1964: 

In  the  Stakes    1,801,571 

In  the  Missions    433,345 

Total  Membership   

A  net  increase  of  117,465  members  during  the  year 

Church  Growth  During  1964: 

Children  blessed  in  Stakes  and  Missions   

Children  of  record  baptized  in  Stakes  and  Missions   

Converts  baptized  in  Stakes  and  Missions   

Social  Statistics: 

(Based  on  1964  data  from  the  Stakes) 

Birth  rate  per  thousand   

Marriage  rate  per  thousand   

Death  rate  per  thousand   

Priesthood: 

Members  holding  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  December  31,  1964 

Deacons    97,817 

Teachers    76,999 

Priests    107,184 

Total  number  holding  Aaronic  Priesthood   

Members  holding  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood,  December  31,  1964 

Elders    188,552 

Seventies    22,164 

High  Priests    61,304 

Total  number  holding  Melchizedek  Priesthood   

Grand  Total,  members  holding  Aaronic  or  Melchizedek  Priesthood   

An  increase  of  26,097  during  year 

Auxiliary  Organizations: 

Relief  Society  (Membership)   

Deseret  Sunday  School  Union  (Average  Attendance)   

Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association  (Enrollment)   

Young  Women's  Mutual  Improvement  Association  (Enrollment)   

Primary  (Children  Enrolled)   

Welfare  Plan: 

Number  of  persons  assisted  during  the  year   _  

Number  placed  in  remunerative  employment   


3,749 
2,038 

75 


2,234,916 


56,597 
49,094 
93,483 


30.14 
8.48 
5.17 


282,000 


272,020 
554,020 


274,703 
807,659 
293,731 
276,228 
413,510 

82,315 
6,509 


STATISTICAL  REPORT  OF  1964 


99 


Man-Days  of  work  donated  to  the  welfare  plan    75,247 

Unit-Days  of  equipment  use  donated    6,555 

Genealogical  Society: 

Names  cleared  in  1964  for  temple  ordinances    1,098,500 

Genealogical  records  microfilmed  in  14  countries  during  the  year  were 

equivalent  to  140,000  printed  volumes  of  approximately  300  pages 

per  volume. 

Temples: 

Number  of  ordinances  performed  during  1964  in  the  13  operating  temples: 

For  the  living    67,567 

For  the  dead    3,397,659 

Total  number  of  ordinances    3,465,226 

Church  School  System: 

Total  1964  cumulative  enrollments  in  church  schools,  including  institutes 

and  seminaries    143,622 

Missionaries: 

Number  of  missionaries  who  at  the  close  of  1964  were  laboring  under 

calls  from  the  First  Presidency  in  the  full-time  missions    11,371 

Number  of  local  missionaries  (full-time  and  part-time)  who  at  the  close 

of  1964  were  laboring  in  these  missions    228 

Number  of  stake  missionaries  at  the  close  of  the  year    4,672 

Total  number  of  missionaries  at  end  of  year    16,271 

Number  of  missionaries  who  received  training  in  the  missionary  home 

during  1964    5,709 


President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

Elder  Oval  W.  Adams  will  now 
read  the  report  of  the  Church  Finance 
Committee.  Brother  Adams. 

March  26,  1965 

The  First  Presidency 

47  East  South  Temple  Street 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Dear  Brethren: 

We  have  reviewed  the  report  of  the 
1964  financial  operations  of  the  Corpo- 
ration of  the  President  of  The  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  as 
well  as  of  auxiliaries  and  other  organ- 
izations for  which  accounts  are  main- 
tained in  the  Financial  Department  of 
the  Church.  Attention  was  given  par- 
ticularly to  the  accounting  and  audit- 
ing procedures  followed  as  to  funds 
received  and  to  the  manner  in  which 
expenditures  are  controlled.  We  have 
determined  that  the  expenditures  of 
such  funds  are  authorized  by  the  First 
Presidency  and  by  budgetary  pro- 
cedures. The  budget  is  authorized 
by  the  Council  on  Disposition  of  the 


Tithes  comprised  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency, the  Council  of  the  Twelve  and 
the  Presiding  Bishopric. 

A  continuous  audit  of  the  financial 
records  of  the  Church  is  conducted 
by  The  Church  Auditing  Department, 
which  is  completely  independent  of  all 
other  departments.  Businesses  owned 
or  controlled  by  the  Church,  for  which 
accounts  are  not  maintained  in  the 
Financial  Department,  are  audited  by 
professional  auditing  firms. 

Based  upon  our  review  of  the  finan- 
cial reports  of  the  Corporation  of  the 
President  of  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  ex- 
planations made  by  the  personnel  of 
the  Financial  and  Auditing  Depart- 
ments of  the  Church,  we  are  of  the 
opinion  that  the  expenditures  of  funds 
during  the  year  1964  were  made  in 
accordance  with  the  established  pro- 
cedures outlined  herein. 

We  congratulate  the  General  Au- 
thorities and  their  associates  for  the 
manner  in  which  the  finances  of  the 
Church  are  administered,  and  we 
commend  the  Church  Financial  De- 
partment and  the  Church  Auditing 
Department  for  the  expert  and  careful 


100 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

manner  in  which  all  financial  records 
are  maintained  and  audited. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

CHURCH  FINANCE 
COMMITTEE 

Orval  W.  Adams 
Harold  H.  Bennett 
Glenn  E.  Nielson 
Wilford  G.  Edling 
Weston  E.  Hamilton 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown  of  the 
First  Presidency  of  the  Church  will 
now  present  the  General  Authorities, 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

general  officers,  and  general  auxiliary 
officers  of  the  Church  for  the  sustain- 
ing vote  of  this  general  conference, 
after  which  Elder  Marion  G.  Romney 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  will 
speak  to  us. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

(Sustaining  of  General  Authorities 
of  Church) 

All  of  the  affairs  of  the  Church  are 
carried  on  by  divine  direction,  and  with 
the  common  consent  of  the  members 
of  the  Church.  This  vote,  therefore,  is 
not  a  pro  forma  matter  but  is  a  privi- 
lege granted  to  us,  and  it  carries  with 
it  grave  responsibility. 


GENERAL  AUTHORITIES  OF  THE  CHURCH 
The  First  Presidency 

David  O.  McKay,  Prophet,  Seer  and  Revelator,  and  President  of  The  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

Hugh  B.  Brown,  First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 

Nathan  Eldon  Tanner,  Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 

President  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith 

Quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


Joseph  Fielding  Smith 
Harold  B.  Lee 
Spencer  W.  Kimball 
Ezra  Taft  Benson 
Mark  E.  Petersen 
Delbert  L.  Stapley 


Marion  G.  Romney 
LeGrand  Richards 
Richard  L.  Evans 
Howard  W.  Hunter 
Gordon  B.  Hinckley 
Thomas  S.  Monson 


Patriarch  to  the  Church 
Eldred  G.  Smith 

The  Counselors  in  the  First  Presidency,  the  Twelve  Apostles  and  the 
Patriarch  to  the  Church  as  Prophets,  Seers  and  Revel  ators. 


Assistants  to  the  Twelve 


Alma  Sonne 
EIRay  L.  Christiansen 
John  Longden 
Sterling  W.  Sill 
Henry  D.  Taylor 
Wm.  J.  Critchlow,  Jr. 


Alvin  R.  Dyer 
Franklin  D.  Richards 
Theodore  M.  Burton 
Thorpe  B.  Isaacson 
Boyd  K.  Packer 
Bernard  P.  Brockbank 


Trustee-in-Trust 


David  O.  McKay 

as  Trustee-in-Trust  for  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 


GENERAL  OFFICERS  OF  THE  CHURCH 

The  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

Antoine  R.  Ivins  Marion  D.  Hanks 

Seymour  Dilworth  Young  Albert  Theodore  Tuttle 

Milton  R.  Hunter  Paul  Harold  Dunn 

Bruce  R.  McConkie 

The  Presiding  Bishopric 

John  H.  Vandenberg,  Presiding  Bishop 
Robert  L.  Simpson,  First  Counselor 
Victor  L.  Brown,  Second  Counselor 

Church  Historian  and  Recorder 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  with  A.  William  Lund  as  Assistant 

GENERAL  CHURCH  PRIESTHOOD  COMMITTEES 

Priesthood  Welfare  Committee 

John  H.  Vandenberg,  Chairman 
Henry  D.  Taylor,  Managing  Director 
with  all  members  of  the  committee  as  at  present  constituted. 

Priesthood  Home  Teaching  Committee 

Marion  G.  Romney,  Chairman 
John  H.  Vandenberg,  Vice  Chairman 
Alvin  R.  Dyer,  Managing  Director 
with  all  members  of  the  committee  as  at  present  constituted. 

Priesthood  Missionary  Committee 

Spencer  W.  Kimball,  Chairman  of  Executive  Committee 
Gordon  B.  Hinckley,  Managing  Director 
Boyd  K.  Packer,  Associate  Managing  Director 
with  all  members  of  the  committee  as  at  present  constituted 

Priesthood  Genealogical  Committee 

Howard  W.  Hunter,  Chairman 
Theodore  M.  Burton,  Managing  Director 
with  all  members  of  the  committee  as  at  present  constituted. 

Church  Board  of  Education 

David  O.  McKay  LeGrand  Richards 

Hugh  B.  Brown  Richard  L.  Evans 

Nathan  Eldon  Tanner  Howard  W.  Hunter 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith  Gordon  B.  Hinckley 

Harold  B.  Lee  Thomas  S.  Monson 

Spencer  W.  Kimball  Boyd  K.  Packer 

Ezra  Taft  Benson  Marion  D.  Hanks 

Mark  E.  Petersen  Albert  Theodore  Tuttle 

Delbert  L.  Stapley  John  H.  Vandenberg 
Marion  G.  Romney 


102  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Tuesday,  April  5,  7965  Third  Day 

Church  Finance  Committee 

Orval  W.  Adams 
Harold  H.  Bennett 
Wilford  G.  Edling 
Glenn  E.  Nielson 
Weston  E.  Hamilton 

Senior  Church  Auditors 

Harold  L.  Davis 
Charles  Schmidt 

GENERAL  AUXILIARY  OFFICERS  OF  THE  CHURCH 

Relief  Society 

Belle  Smith  Spafford,  President 
Marianne  Clark  Sharp,  First  Counselor 
Louise  Wallace  Madsen,  Second  Counselor 
with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Deseret  Sunday  School  Union 

George  R.  Hill,  General  Superintendent 
David  Lawrence  McKay,  First  Assistant  Superintendent 
Lynn  S.  Richards,  Second  Assistant  Superintendent 
with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted 

Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association 

G.  Carlos  Smith,  Jr.,  General  Superintendent 
Marvin  J.  Ashton,  First  Assistant  Superintendent 
Carl  W.  Buehner,  Second  Assistant  Superintendent 
with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Young  Women's  Mutual  Improvement  Association 

Florence  Smith  Jacobsen,  President 
Margaret  Romney  Jackson,  First  Counselor 
Dorothy  Porter  Holt,  Second  Counselor 
with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Primary  Association 

LaVern  Watts  Parmley,  President 
Leone  Watson  Doxey,  First  Counselor 
Lucile  Cardon  Reading,  Second  Counselor 
with  all  members  of  the  Board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Tabernacle  Choir 

Isaac  M.  Stewart,  President 
Theodore  L.  Cannon,  Vice  President 
Richard  P.  Condie,  Conductor 
Jay  E.  Welch,  Assistant  Conductor 
W.  Jack  Thomas,  Tour  Manager 

Organists 

Alexander  Schreiner,  Chief  Organist 
Robert  N.  Cundick 
Roy  M.  Darley 

Frank  W.  Asper,  Organist  Emeritus 


ELDER  MARIOi 

May  I  just  mention  here  that  we 
wish  to  express  to  Brother  Asper  our 
sincere  appreciation  for  his  many  years 
of  devoted  and  efficient  service  and  we 
hope  that  he  may  continue  to  render 
such  service  as  he  may  be  called  upon 
to  do. 

President  McKay,  as  far  as  I  can  ob- 
serve, the  voting  is  unanimous  in  the 
affirmative. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

We  have  just  listened  to  the  report 
from  the  clerk  of  the  conference,  Elder 
Joseph  W.  Anderson,  giving  statistical 


G.  ROMNEY  103 

data;  and  Elder  Orval  W.  Adams  gave 
a  report  of  the  Church  Finance  Com- 
mittee; and  from  President  Hugh  B. 
Brown  of  the  First  Presidency,  who  pre- 
sented for  your  sustaining  vote  the 
General  Authorities,  general  officers, 
and  general  auxiliary  officers  of  the 
Church.  We  thank  you,  brethren  and 
sisters,  for  this  sustaining  vote. 

Elder  Marion  G.  Romney  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  will  be  our 
first  speaker  this  morning,  and  he 
will  be  followed  by  Elder  Franklin  D. 
Richards,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve. 

Brother  Romney. 


ELDER  MARK 

Of  the  Council  of 

President  McKay  and  Counselors,  Presi- 
dent Smith,  the  rest  of  the  General 
Authorities,  brothers  and  sisters  and 
friends.  I  am  embarrassed.  Since  my 
secretary  gave  the  press  and  translators 
my  notes,  I  have  decided  not  to  use 
them.  Please  accept  my  apologies,  and 
don't  blame  her.  Brother  Evans,  my 
co-worker,  advised  me  on  the  way  over 
here  this  morning  that  we  have  a  much 
larger  television  and  radio  audience 
than  I  thought  we  would  have.  There- 
fore, on  the  135th  anniversary  of  the 
establishment  of  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  I  have 
decided  to  say  a  word  or  two  about  the 
message  the  Lord  charged  this  his 
Church  to  declare,  particularly  with 
respect  to  present  and  future  world 
conditions. 

I  make  no  apology  for  the  scriptures 
I  am  going  to  read.  Of  them  the  Lord 
said:  "What  I . . .  have  spoken,  I  have 
spoken,  and  I  excuse  not  myself;  and 
though  the  heavens  and  the  earth  pass 
away,  my  word  shall  not  pass  away, 
but  shall  all  be  fulfilled,  .  .  ."  (D&C 
1:38.)  In  using  these  scriptures,  I  have 
no  ill  will  toward  the  world — nothing 
but  love  and  a  hope  that  the  world  will 
listen  to  what  the  Almighty  himself 
has  said. 

Fifteen  months  ago,  in  the  Deseret 
News,  was  a  column  in  which  Sydney 
J.   Harris  referred  to   an  entry  in 


J  G.  ROMNEY 

le  Twelve  Apostles 

the  log  of  Peary  when  he  was  trying 
to  reach  the  North  Pole. 

"On  this  trip,  he  traveled  a  whole 
day  [northward],  ...  At  night,  when 
he  checked  his  bearings  . .  .  ,  he  found 
to  his  surprise  that  he  was  much  fur- 
ther South  than  he  had  been  in  the 
morning. 

"All  day  ...  he  had  been  driving 
toward  the  North  on  an  immense 
iceberg  drawn  southward  by  an  ocean 
current. 

"And  sometimes,"  said  the  commen- 
tator, "it  occurs  to  me  that  we  are  all 
standing  on  this  iceberg,  racing  for- 
ward in  one  direction,  while  the  very 
ground  beneath  us  moves  implacably 
in  the  other  direction. 

"With  tremendous  speed  and  power, 
we  are  moving  toward  discoveries  and 
inventions  that  utterly  dwarf  Peary's 
conquest  of  the  North  Pole.  In  medi- 
cine, in  technology,  in  food  supply,  in 
materials  and  techniques  and  processes, 
we  have  made  more  progress  in  the  last 
fifty  years  than  was  made  in  the  pre- 
vious five  hundred. 

"Yet,  at  the  same  time,  the  ground 
we  are  standing  on  steadily  seems  to 
move  backward,  drawn  not  by  ocean 
currents,  but  by  social  currents  too  vast 
and  deep  for  us  to  comprehend,  much 
less  to  control. 

"As  we  check  our  bearings  ...  at  this 
point  in  history,  we  are  more  surprised 


104  GENERAL  O 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

and  appalled  than  Peary  to  learn  that 
we  are  'farther  South'  than  our  fathers 
and  grandfathers  were. 

"The  first  two-thirds  of  the  20th 
Century  have  witnessed  a  monumental 
regression  from  the  hopes  and  aspira- 
tions of  the  19th  Century.  For  now, 
with  all  the  new  techniques  at  our  dis- 
posal for  mastering  nature  and  con- 
trolling our  own  destinies,  we  appear 
further  than  ever  from  our  goals." 
(Sydney  J.  Harris,  Deseret  News,  Janu- 
ary 7,  1964.) 

From  the  October  13,  1964,  issue  of 
the  same  paper,  I  clipped  the  following 
from  Walter  Lippmann. 

Our  Civilization  Is  Going  Forward 
Backwards 

"Nobody  knows,"  he  says,  "just  why 
our  affluent  society  is  filled  with  so 
much  anxiety,  or  just  why  crime  is  in- 
creasing so  alarmingly  among  the 
young, .  . .  These  [and  other  conditions 
which  he  cites]  are  all  matters  which 
can  be  mentioned,  but  which  cannot 
be  debated  seriously,  because  the  wisest 
men  among  us  are  still  searching  for, 
but  have  not  found,  the  answers." 

Now,  like  the  rest  of  the  world,  in- 
formed Latter-day  Saints  are  fully 
aware  that  our  civilization  is  going  for- 
ward backwards  and  that  our  affluent 
society  is  filled  with  much  anxiety.  But, 
unlike  the  rest  of  the  world,  we  are  not 
"still  searching  for  .  .  .  the  answers." 
We  know  what  they  are.  The  Almighty 
himself  has  revealed  them.  He  has 
made  known  the  cause  of  the  down- 
ward drift,  and  he  has  revealed  the 
one  and  only  remedy  therefor.  We  not 
only  know  these  things;  but,  as  already 
said,  we  are  under  a  divine  charge  to 
declare  them  to  the  world. 

God  Has  Revealed  the  Remedy 

And  so,  pursuant  to  this  charge,  we 
do  declare  that  more  than  a  century 
ago  God  our  Eternal  Father,  knowing 
where  the  course  of  men  was  leading, 
opened  the  heavens  and  gave  warning. 
He  not  only  confirmed  the  drift;  he 
pointed  out  the  reason  for  it.  He  re- 
vealed also  the  remedy  for  it.  He  fur- 
ther predicted  the  awful  consequences 
of  a  failure  to  follow  that  remedy. 


Third  Day 

And  finally,  he  gave  assurance  that 
righteousness,  peace,  and  happiness 
will  ultimately  prevail  among  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth. 

This,  of  course,  is  not  the  time  or 
the  place  for  an  exhaustive  review  of 
what  the  Lord  said  on  these  vital  issues. 
A  few  quotations  will  suffice,  however, 
to  indicate  the  nature  of  what  he  re- 
vealed. 

First,  as  to  the  downward  drift:  On 
the  night  of  September  21,  1823,  an 
angel,  who  introduced  himself  as  "a 
messenger  sent  from  the  presence  of 
God,"  appeared  at  the  bedside  of 
Joseph  Smith,  Jun.,  and  informed  him 
".  .  .  of  great  judgments  which  were 
coming  upon  the  earth,  with  great  deso- 
lations by  famine,  sword,  and  pesti- 
lence; and  that  these  grievous 
judgments  would  come  on  the  earth  in 
this  generation.  .  .  ."  (Joseph  Smith 
2:33,  45.) 

On  Christmas  day  1832  about  thirty 
years  before  the  Civil  War  broke  out, 
the  Lord  said  to  the  Prophet: 

"Verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord  con- 
cerning the  wars  that  will  shortly  come 
to  pass,  beginning  at  the  rebellion  of 
South  Carolina,  which  will  eventually 
terminate  in  the  death  and  misery  of 
many  souls; 

"And  the  time  will  come  that  war 
will  be  poured  out  upon  all  nations, . . . 

"And  thus,  with  the  sword  and  by 
bloodshed  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
shall  mourn;  and  with  famine,  and 
plague,  and  earthquake,  and  the  thun- 
der of  heaven,  and  the  fierce  and  vivid 
lightning  also,  shall  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth  be  made  to  feel  the  wrath, 
and  indignation,  and  chastening  hand 
of  an  Almighty  God,  until  the  con- 
sumption decreed  hath  made  a  full  end 
of  all  nations;"  (D&C  87:1-2,  6.) 

That  the  Lord's  purpose  in  revealing 
these  unhappy  impending  calamities 
was  not  to  condemn  but  to  save  man- 
kind is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  with 
the  warning  he  identified  the  cause 
and  revealed  the  means  by  which  the 
calamities  may  be  turned  aside. 

As  to  their  cause,  he  said,  speaking 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  ".  .  . 
they  have  strayed  from  mine  ordi- 
nances, and  have  broken  mine  ever- 
lasting covenant; 


ELDER  MARK 

"They  seek  not  the  Lord  to  establish 
his  righteousness,  but  every  man  walk- 
eth  in  his  own  way,  and  after  the  image 
of  his  own  God,  whose  image  is  in 
the  likeness  of  the  world,  . .  ."  (Ibid., 
1:15-16.) 

We  are,  then,  going  forward  back- 
wards, and  our  affluent  society  is  filled 
with  much  anxiety  because  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  world  ".  .  .  seek  not  the 
Lord  to  establish  his  righteousness,  but 
every  man  walketh  in  his  own  way, 
and  after  the  image  of  his  own  God, 
.  .  ."  (Ibid  1:16.)  I  ask  you  candidly, 
how  could  current  attitudes  of  men 
and  nations  throughout  the  world  be 
more  accurately  described? 

To  me  the  foregoing  statements 
clearly  reveal  the  fact  that  if  men 
do  not  humble  themselves  and  cease 
relying  solely  upon  their  own  wisdom, 
if  they  do  not  turn  and  seek  the  Lord 
to  establish  his  righteousness,  they  will 
implement  the  "decreed  .  .  .  end  of 
all  nations."  (Ibid.,  87:6.) 

As  to  the  way  to  avoid  the  calamities, 
the  Lord,  in  his  preface  to  the  publica- 
tion of  a  compilation  of  some  of  the 
revelations  which  he  gave  during  the 
restoration,  said: 

"Wherefore,  I  the  Lord,  knowing  the 
calamity  which  should  come  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,  called  upon 
my  servant  Joseph  Smith,  Jun.,  and 
spake  unto  him  from  heaven,  and  gave 
him  commandments; 

"And  also  gave  commandments  to 
others,  that  they  should  proclaim  these 
things  unto  the  world;  and  all  this. . . . 

".  .  .  that  man  should  not  counsel 
his  fellow  man  [that  is,  rely  upon  his 
own  judgment],  neither  trust  in  the 
arm  of  flesh — 

"But  that  every  man  might  speak  in 
the  name  of  God  the  Lord,  even  the 
Savior  of  the  world; 

"That  faith  also  might  increase  in 
the  earth; 

"That  mine  everlasting  covenant 
might  be  established  [that  from  which 
the  world  had  strayed] ; 

"That  the  fulness  of  my  gospel 
might  be  proclaimed  by  the  weak  and 
the  simple  unto  the  ends  of  the  world, 
and  before  kings  and  rulers."  (Ibid., 
1:17-23.) 


G.  ROMNEY  105 

The  Remedy:  The  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ 

The  commandments  referred  to  in 
these  scriptures,  which  were  given  to 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  which 
others  were  commanded  to  declare  to 
the  world,  collectively  embrace  the 
pure  and  simple  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  gospel  is  the  remedy  to  the  prob- 
lems of  our  times.  Because  it  now  is, 
and  has  always  been,  the  only  plan  by 
which  men  can  live  in  righteousness, 
peace,  and  happiness  in  the  earth,  the 
Lord  has  from  the  beginning  repeatedly 
revealed  it  He  revealed  it  to  Adam. 
Thereafter  he  revealed  it  to  Enoch,  to 
Noah,  the  Jaredites,  Abraham,  Moses, 
and  the  prophets,  and  to  the  Nephites. 
Jesus  himself  personally  taught  it  in 
the  Meridian  of  Time,  both  in  the  land 
of  Jerusalem  and  in  America.  It  con- 
tains the  ordinances  from  which  the 
Lord  said  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
had  strayed.  It  is  the  "everlasting 
covenant"  which  he  said  they  had 
broken.  It  leads  men  to  "seek  the 
Lord  to  establish  his  righteousness." 
It  is  literally,  as  Paul  says,  "the  power 
of  God  unto  salvation."  (Rom.  1:16.) 

For  the  purpose  of  saving  mankind 
in  this  world,  and  in  the  world  to 
come,  the  Lord  revealed  it  anew  in  this 
dispensation  through  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  Jun.  Through  him  also 
the  Lord,  135  years  ago  today,  re- 
established his  Church,  ".  .  .  even  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-dav 
Saints"  (D&C  115:4),  commonly 
known  as  "the  Mormon  Church."  This 
Church  is  the  Lord's  appointed  cus- 
todian and  legal  administrator  of  the 
ordinances  of  his  gospel. 

Backwardness  Can  Be  Reversed 

If  enough  people  will  accept  and 
live  it,  the  troubles  of  the  world  will 
fade  away  as  the  hoarfrost  before  the 
burning  rays  of  the  rising  sun.  Our 
going  forward  backwards  will  be  re- 
versed, and  the  anxieties  of  our  "afflu- 
ent society"  will  diminish  and  cease. 

Otherwise,  a  Desolating  Scourge 

And  what  if  enough  people  do  not 
accept  the  remedy?  Well,  in  such  event 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  will  suffer 


106  GENERAL  C 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

the  consequences  of  their  disobedience. 
I  say  this  humbly  but  confidently  be- 
cause the  Lord  himself  said  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  in  March  of 
1829: 

".  .  .  this  generation  shall  have  my 
word  through  you";  and 

"Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  woe 
shall  come  unto  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  if  they  will  not  hearken  unto  my 
words; 

"For  a  desolating  scourge  shall  go 
forth  among  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth,  and  shall  continue  to  be  poured 
out  from  time  to  time,  if  they  repent 
not,  until  the  earth  is  empty,  and  the 
inhabitants  thereof  are  consumed 
away  and  utterly  destroyed  by  the 
brightness  of  my  coming. 

"Behold,  I  tell  you  these  things,  even 
as  I  also  told  the  people  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem;  and  my  word  shall 
be  verified  at  this  time  as  it  hath 
hitherto  been  verified."  (Ibid.  5:10, 
5,  19-20.) 

Our  choice,  then,  is  clear.  Men,  in 
the  exercise  of  their  God-given  free 
agency,  will  make— in  fact,  they  are 
now  making  day  by  day — the  decision. 

Such,  in  brief  and  inadequate  out- 
line, is  the  message  which  we,  the 
members  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints,  are  under  divine 
charge  to  declare  to  the  world.  For  as 
the  Lord  told  his  prophets  in  dispensa- 
tions past,  so  he  told  his  modern 
Prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  that  the  revela- 
tions which  had  been  given  to  him 
were  not  for  the  sake  of  himself  and  his 
associates  only,  but  were  for  the  sake 
of  the  whole  world.  In  the  preface 
already  referred  to  he  said, 

".  .  .  the  voice  of  the  Lord  is  unto 
the  ends  of  the  earth,  .  .  .  unto  all 
men,  .  .  . 

"And  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
O  inhabitants  of  the  earth:  I  the  Lord 
am  willing  to  make  these  things  known 
unto  all  flesh";  (Ibid.,  1:11,  2,  34.) 

As  to  who  should  make  the  declara- 
tion, the  Lord  was  equally  explicit. 
Speaking  to  the  Prophet,  he  said,  ".  .  . 
ye  shall  teach  them  unto  all  men;  for 
they  shall  be  taught  unto  all  nations, 
kindreds,  tongues  and  people."  (Ibid., 
42:58.) 


Third  Day 

"The  voice  of  warning  shall  be  to  all 
people" 

"And  the  voice  of  warning  shall  be 
unto  all  people,  by  the  mouths  of  my 
disciples,  whom  I  have  chosen  in  these 
last  days."  (Ibid.,  1:4.) 

"Send  forth  the  elders  of  my  church 
unto  the  nations  which  are  afar  off; 
unto  the  islands  of  the  sea;  send 
forth  unto  foreign  lands;  call  upon  all 
nations,  .  .  ."  (Ibid.,  133:8.) 

In  conclusion,  let  me  say  that  the 
message  we  declare  includes  the  glori- 
ous assurance  that  in  the  end  righteous- 
ness, peace,  and  happiness  will  come  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth.  Whether 
after  the  destruction  foreshadowed  or 
as  a  result  of  repentance,  men  return  to 
his  ordinances,  abide  by  his  everlast- 
ing covenant,  and  "seek  the  Lord  to 
establish  his  righteousness,"  remains 
to  be  seen. 

The  Second  Advent  of  Our  Lord, 
Jesus  Christ 

The  assurance  of  the  glorious  day  of 
peace  is  frequently  given  in  connection 
with  references  to  the  second  advent 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  one  I 
have  taken  from  the  45th  section  of 
the  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 

"...  I  have  sent  mine  everlasting 
covenant  into  the  world,  to  be  a  light 
to  the  world,  and  to  be  a  standard  for 
my  people,  and  for  the  Gentiles  to 
seek  to  it,  and  to  be  a  messenger  before 
my  face  to  prepare  the  way  before  me. 

"Wherefore,  come  ye  unto  it,  .  .  . 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  he 
that  feareth  me  shall  be  looking  forth 
for  the  great  day  of  the  Lord  to  come, 
even  for  the  signs  of  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  Man. 

"And  they  shall  see  signs  and  won- 
ders, for  they  shall  be  shown  forth  in 
the  heavens  above,  and  in  the  earth 
beneath.  .  .  . 

".  .  .  and,  behold,  I  will  come;  and 
they  shall  see  me  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  clothed  with  power  and  great 
glory;  with  all  the  holy  angels;  .  .  . 

"And  at  that  day,  .  .  .  shall  the  par- 
able be  fulfilled  which  I  spake  con- 
cerning the  ten  virgins. 

"For  they  that  are  wise  and  have 
received  the  truth  [the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ],  and  have  taken  the  Holy  Spirit 


ELDER  FRANKLIN  D.  RICHARDS 


107 


for  their  guide  [and  are  directed  by 
the  Holy  Ghost],  and  have  not  been 
deceived — verily  I  say  unto  you,  they 
.  .  .  shall  abide  the  day. 

"And  the  earth  shall  be  given  unto 
them  for  an  inheritance;  and  they  shall 
multiply  and  wax  strong,  and  their 
children  shall  grow  up  without  sin 
unto  salvation. 

"For  the  Lord  shall  be  in  their  midst, 
and  his  glory  shall  be  upon  them,  and 
he  will  be  their  king  and  their  law- 
giver." (Ibid.,  45:9-10, 39-40, 44, 56-59.) 


God  grant  that  we  may  heed  the 
message  and  be  prepared  for  that  great 
day  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

He  to  whom  you  have  just  listened 
is  Elder  Marion  G.  Romney  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve.  Elder  Franklin 
D.  Richards,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve, 
will  be  our  next  speaker.  Elder  Rich- 
ards. 


ELDER  FRANKLIN  D.  RICHARDS 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  I  pray 
that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  will  guide 
and  direct  me  as  I  speak  to  you  on  this 
the  135th  anniversary  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Church. 

Differences 

One  of  the  most  frequent  questions 
asked  members  of  the  Church  is, 
"What  is  the  difference  between  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  and  other  churches?" 

All  that  God  Has  Revealed 

There  are  many  important  differ- 
ences, but  one  of  the  most  basic  and 
significant  is  stated  in  our  ninth  article 
of  faith:  "We  believe  all  that  God  has 
revealed,  all  that  He  does  now  reveal, 
and  we  believe  that  He  will  yet  reveal 
many  great  and  important  things  per- 
taining to  the  Kingdom  of  God." 

Many  call  us  a  peculiar  people  be- 
cause we  believe  in  modern  revelation. 

By  way  of  explanation,  in  the  year 
1820  Joseph  Smith,  a  boy  of  14,  living 
in  the  state  of  New  York,  was  inter- 
ested in  joining  a  church  but  was 
unable  to  determine  which  church  was 
right. 

"If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom" 

In  his  own  words  he  said,  "While  I 
was  laboring  under  the  extreme  diffi- 
culties caused  by  the  contests  of  these 
parties  of  religionists,  I  was  one  day 
reading  the  Epistle  of  James,  first  chap- 


ter and  fifth  verse,  which  reads,  'If  any 
of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of 
God,  that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally, 
and  upbraideth  not;  and  it  shall  be 
given  him.' 

"Never  did  any  passage  of  scripture 
come  with  more  power  to  the  heart  of 
man  than  this  did  at  this  time  to  mine. 
It  seemed  to  enter  with  great  force  into 
every  feeling  of  my  heart.  .  .  . 

"At  length  I  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  I  must  either  remain  in  darkness 
and  confusion,  or  else  I  must  do  as 
James  directs,  that  is,  ask  of  God.  I  at 
length  came  to  the  determination  to 
'ask  of  god.'"  (Joseph  Smith  2:11-13.) 

So  in  accordance  with  his  determina- 
tion to  ask  of  God,  one  beautiful  spring 
morning  in  1820  he  retired  to  a  grove 
of  trees  on  his  father's  farm  and  knelt 
in  prayer. 

"My  Beloved  Son" 

As  he  was  praying  he  saw  a  pillar  of 
light  exactly  over  his  head,  above  the 
brightness  of  the  sun,  which  descended 
gradually  until  it  fell  upon  him.  When 
the  light  rested  upon  him,  he  saw, 
standing  above  him  in  the  air,  two 
personages  in  the  form  of  men,  whose 
brightness  and  glory  defied  all  de- 
scription. One  of  them  called  Joseph 
Smith  by  name  and  said,  "This  is  My 
Beloved  Son.  Hear  Him."  (Ibid..,  2:17.) 

He  could  see  them  as  clearly  as  we 
see  one  another.  And  he  could  see  that 
his  own  body  was  created  in  the  image 
and  likeness  of  God.  At  that  time  the 


108  GENERAL  C 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

churches  taught  that  God  was  only  a 
spirit,  that  he  had  no  body. 

He  Is  the  Christ,  Our  Savior  and 
Redeemer 

Yes,  God  does  have  a  body,  and  he 
made  us  to  be  like  him.  I  know  this  to 
be  true:  that  God  lives  and  that  Jesus 
is  our  Savior  and  Redeemer. 

In  the  grove  of  trees  that  day,  Joseph 
Smith  asked  the  Savior  which  of  all  the 
sects  was  right  and  which  he  should 
join. 

He  was  told  that  he  should  join  none 
of  them,  for  they  were  all  wrong,  that 
they  taught  for  doctrines  the  com- 
mandments of  men,  having  a  form  of 
godliness  but  denying  the  power 
thereof. 

This  was  a  most  startling  message  as 
it  was  an  indictment  of  all  churches 
in  existence  at  that  time. 

Vision  Outstanding 

Joseph  Smith's  vision  is  probably  the 
most  outstanding  in  the  history  of 
God's  relationship  with  man.  With  the 
exception  of  Stephen's  vision  as  de- 
scribed in  the  seventh  chapter  of  Acts, 
God  the  Father  has  remained  in  the 
background — the  Jehovah  of  the  Old 
Testament  being  the  preexistent  Spirit 
of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  the 
Father. 

With  the  opening  of  the  Dispensa- 
tion of  the  Fulness  of  Times,  it  was 
entirely  appropriate  that  a  fulness  of 
the  knowledge  of  God  should  be  re- 
vealed to  the  Prophet.  The  importance 
of  the  dispensation  was  indicated  by 
the  Father  introducing  the  Son  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph.  I  bear  you  my  witness 
that  Joseph  Smith  is  indeed  one  of  the 
great  prophets  of  all  time. 

It  is  difficult  to  appreciate  the  far- 
reaching  effects  of  the  Prophet's  first 
vision — the  first  direct  revelation  in 
modern  times.  Consider  for  a  moment 
what  it  did. 

Concept  of  the  Godhead 

First.  It  clarified  the  conception  of 
the  Godhead.  It  made  it  clear  that  God 
does  have  a  body,  parts,  and  passions. 
He  appeared  to  Joseph  Smith  as  a 
glorified  man.  This  being  so,  man  is 
in  form  the  same  as  God.  The  scrip- 


Third  Day 

tures  taught  that  man  was  created  in 
the  likeness  and  image  of  God,  but  it 
took  this  vision  to  restore  the  correct 
conception  of  God. 

Oneness  of  the  Godhead 

Second.  It  clarified  the  doctrine  of 
the  oneness  of  the  Godhead.  God  the 
Father  and  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  ap- 
peared as  two  separate  and  distinct 
Personages — as  separate  and  distinct 
as  any  earthly  father  and  son.  This 
makes  it  clear  that  the  oneness  of  the 
Godhead  is  a  type  of  unity  of  mind 
and  purpose. 

Revelation  Continues 

Third.  It  proved  that  revelation  from 
God  to  man  had  not  ceased  even 
though  Christendom  taught  otherwise. 

Thus  this  great  vision  restored  to 
man  the  true  concept  of  God,  made 
known  that  there  had  been  an  apostasy 
from  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  opened  a  new  dispensation,  and 
provided  a  new  witness  for  God  the 
Father  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

He  Will  Reveal  Many  Great  and 
Important  Things 

In  contemplating  the  knowledge  that 
came  to  man  through  Joseph  Smith's 
first  vision,  one  can  more  fully  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  the  ninth  article 
of  faith:  "We  believe  all  that  God  has 
revealed,  all  that  He  does  now  reveal, 
and  we  believe  that  He  will  yet  reveal 
many  great  and  important  things  per- 
taining to  the  Kingdom  of  God." 
Especially  note  the  words,  "we  believe 
that  He  will  yet  reveal  many  great  and 
important  things  pertaining  to  the 
Kingdom  of  God." 

Authority  Restored 

In  keeping  with  this  belief  and  sub- 
sequent to  the  first  vision,  the  Lord 
through  his  Prophet  restored  the  priest- 
hood— the  authority  to  act  in  the  name 
of  God — and  authorized  and  directed 
the  reestablishment  of  his  Church  on 
the  earth.  Membership  in  the  Church 
affords  every  person  a  chance  to  serve 
— and  service  brings  forth  true  happi- 
ness and  peace  together  with  personal 
growth  and  development. 


ELDER  FRANKL 

The  Gospel  Restored 

Through  the  prophets  that  have 
stood  at  the  head  of  Christ's  Church 
in  this  dispensation,  the  gospel  in  its 
fulness  has  been  restored. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  and  other 
modern  revelations  have  brought  in- 
creased knowledge  and  understanding, 
answering  many  vital  questions  such 
as;  "What  is  the  purpose  of  life?" 
"Where  did  we  come  from?"  "Why  are 
we  here?"  "Where  do  we  go  after 
death?"  "What  is  our  relationship  to 
God?"  "How  do  we  obtain  happiness, 
peace,  and  progress  eternally?" 

The  first  vision  of  Joseph  Smith 
clearly  indicated  the  need  of  continu- 
ing revelation  through  a  prophet.  This 
need  is  likewise  pressing  today. 

The  confused  and  frustrated  con- 
dition of  mankind  is  indicated  in  an 
article  which  recently  appeared  in  a 
leading  newspaper  entitled:  Nation  at 
Crossroads  of  Advancement  or  Fall. 

"Our  progress,  our  genius,  our  pro- 
ductivity will  go  down  in  history.  But 
where  do  we  go  from  here?  We've 
taken  to  the  worship  of  money  and 
pleasure,  twisted  moral  values  to  suit 
ourselves,  and  scoffed  at  integrity.  We 
have  behaved  like  great  civilizations 
of  the  past  when  they've  become 
pleasure-ridden — just  before  they  crum- 
bled. 

"Where  do  we  go?  What  are  our  new 
goals?  To  some  our  goal  is  a  simple 
one;  we're  rich,  let's  get  richer.  We 
hear  of  three  cars  to  a  family,  instead 
of  two;  four- day  work  weeks  and  three 
days  a  week  for  amusement  and  indo- 
lence. It  is  questionable  whether  three 
cars  will  save  a  family  from  divorce,  or 
from  spiritual  emptiness,  or  from  bore- 
dom. 

"Getting  richer  was  yesterday's  fron- 
tier. The  new  frontier  is  what  logically 
follows  the  job  of  making  a  living.  It 
is  making  a  life.  Finding  new  paths  to 
family  harmony,  relatedness  to  God 
and  fellow  humans,  inner  ease  instead 
of  tensions.  In  other  words — Peace." 

Good  Will  Toward  Men 

Jesus  was  called  the  Prince  of  Peace, 
and  at  his  coming  the  angels  sang, 
"Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on 


/  D.  RICHARDS  109 

earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." 
(Luke  2:14.)  It  was  God's  wish  that 
everyone  would  share  this  great  gift  of 
peace  and  good  will. 

Peace  and  joy  characterize  his  king- 
dom according  to  the  Apostle  Paul, 
who  declared:  "For  the  kingdom  of 
God  is  not  meat  and  drink;  but  right- 
eousness, and  peace,  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost."  (Rom.  14:17.) 

Family  harmony,  the  relief  of  inner 
tensions  and  genuine  peace  can  be 
obtained  by  adhering  to  the  principles 
of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  by 
following  the  counsel  and  direction  of 
God's  prophet. 

Family  and  Home 

Recently  President  McKay  reempha- 
sized  the  importance  of  the  home  and 
the  role  of  parents  in  a  program  which 
is  called,  "Teaching  and  living  the 
gospel  in  the  home."  This  program 
provides  for  a  weekly  family  night 

He  said,  "No  other  success  can  com- 
pensate for  failure  in  the  home,"  (The 
Improvement  Era,  June  1964,  p.  445) 
but  promised  that  in  those  homes  that 
followed  the  program,  ".  .  .  love  at 
home  and  obedience  to  parents  will 
increase,  and  faith  will  develop  in  the 
hearts  of  the  youth  of  Israel,  and  they 
will  gain  power  to  combat  evil  in- 
fluences and  temptations,  and  to  choose 
righteousness  and  peace,  and  be  as- 
sured an  eternal  place  in  the  family 
circle  of  our  Father."  (Family  Home 
Evening  Manual,  preface.) 

I  call  your  attention  again  to  the 
ninth  article  of  faith  wherein  it  states, 
".  .  .  we  believe  that  [God]  will  yet 
reveal  many  great  and  important 
things  pertaining  to  the  Kingdom  of 
God." 

The  Family  Night  program  is  an 
excellent  example  of  this  and  an  evi- 
dence of  the  need  of  continued  revela- 
tion and  a  prophet  to  guide  and  direct 
us. 

Testimony 

I  testify  in  all  solemnity  that  God 
has  raised  up  a  prophet  today  and  that 
he  is  the  head  of  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  President 
David  O.  McKay. 


110 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

I  urge  all  members  of  the  Church  to 
follow  the  counsel  of  this  prophet,  and 
to  you  who  are  not  members  of  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  but  desire  peace  and  relief 
from  inner  tensions,  investigate  the 
message  that  God  has  again  spoken  to 
men  through  a  prophet.  The  Lord  has 
restored  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
its  fulness  and  reestablished  his  Church 
with  the  power  to  act  in  the  name  of 
God. 

I  bear  witness  that  these  things  are 
true;  you,  too,  may  know  that  they 
are  true  by  earnestly  studying,  praying, 
and  attending  the  church  services.  We 
invite  you  to  do  so. 

I  leave  this  testimony  with  you  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 


President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

He  to  whom  we  have  just  listened  is 
Elder  Franklin  D.  Richards,  Assistant 
to  the  Twelve.  The  congregation  and 
chorus  will  now  join  in  singing,  "We 
Thank  Thee,  O  God,  for  a  Prophet." 

The  Chorus  and  the  congregation 
sang  the  hymn,  "We  Thank  Thee,  O 
God,  For  a  Prophet." 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

Elder  Theodore  M.  Burton,  Assist- 
ant to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  will 
now  speak  to  us,  and  he  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  Elder  Eldred  G.  Smith, 
Patriarch  to  the  Church. 


ELDER  THEODORE  M.  BURTON 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


The  Coming  of  Elijah 

A  prophecy  given  in  Malachi,  chap- 
ter 4,  verses  5  and  6,  has  long  bothered 
Bible  students.  Since  the  Old  Testa- 
ment closes  with  these  words,  it  would 
be  well  to  understand  what  they  mean. 
I  quote: 

"Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the 
prophet  before  the  coming  of  the  great 
and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord: 

"And  he  shall  turn  the  heart  of  the 
fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart 
of  the  children  to  their  fathers,  lest  I 
come  and  smite  the  earth  with  a 
curse." 

Because  of  a  misunderstanding  of 
Luke  1:17,  which  states  that  the  child 
later  to  be  named  John  the  Baptist 
would  come  in  the  spirit  and  power  of 
Elias  to  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers 
to  the  children,  many  persons  have 
thought  that  John  the  Baptist  who 
held  the  office  of  an  Elias,  or  messen- 
ger, was  the  Elijah  who  was  to  return. 
This  verse  explains  that  John's  work 
was  a  preparatory  work  to  "make 
ready  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lord" 
and  not  the  work  of  sealing  or  com- 
pletion, which  keys  Elijah  held.  When 
John  was  bluntly  asked  the  question, 
he  said: 


"...  I  am  not  the  Christ. 

"And  they  asked  him,  What  then? 
Art  thou  Elias  [Elijah]?  And  he  saith, 
I  am  not.  Art  thou  that  prophet?  And 
he  answered,  No."  (John  1:20-21.) 

This,  of  course,  had  to  be  true,  for 
the  prophecy  stated  that  Elijah  the 
Prophet  should  return  before  the  sec- 
ond coming  of  the  Lord,  when  Jesus 
was  to  come  in  great  power,  majesty, 
and  glory  as  judge  of  all  the  earth. 
The  mission  of  Elias  held  by  John  the 
Baptist  comes  first,  and  so  just  as  John 
came  before  Elijah  in  the  days  of 
Jesus  Christ,  so  John  came  before  Eli- 
jah in  these  latter  days  to  restore  the 
preparatory  Aaronic  Priesthood  before 
the  greater  power  in  the  priesthood 
was  given. 

Elijah  Expected 

Among  Jewish  people  Elijah  is  still 
the  expected  guest  at  every  passover, 
for  whom  a  vacant  seat  is  reserved 
at  the  table.  Thus  the  tradition  of 
Elijah's  return  before  the  coming  of 
the  Redeemer  in  power  and  glory  has 
been  kept  alive  in  the  land.  There 
must,  therefore,  be  some  important 
work  that  this  great  prophet  had  to 
perform,  some  power  that  he  possessed 


ELDER  THEODORE  M.  BURTON 


111 


which  had  to  be  restored  again  to  the 
children  of  men  so  that  they  might 
be  gathered  as  the  "children  of  God." 
At  the  close  of  his  ministry  we  read 
that  as  Elijah  talked  to  his  successor 
Elisha: 

". . .  behold,  there  appeared  a  chariot 
of  fire,  and  horses  of  fire,  and  parted 
them  both  asunder;  and  Elijah  went 
up  by  a  whirlwind  into  heaven." 
(2  Kings  2:11.) 

Thus  Elijah  enjoyed  the  same  glo- 
rious privilege  that  Enoch  had  of  not 
tasting  death  but  of  being  translated. 
According  to  prophecy  both  prophets 
had  a  special  work  to  do  which  re- 
quired this  change  in  their  mortal 
bodies. 

Restoration  Before  the  Coming  of  the 
Dreadful  Day 

It  stretches  credulity  beyond  the 
breaking  point  to  assume  that  Joseph 
Smith  the  Prophet  could  have  kept  all 
these  details  in  mind  when  the  fulness 
of  the  gospel  was  restored.  There  is 
only  one  explanation  which  can  fill 
all  the  requirements  of  the  scripture, 
and  this  is  that  the  events  transpired 
just  as  he  claimed  they  did.  Following 
his  great  vision  of  the  Father  and  the 
Son,  an  angel  came  to  administer  to 
Joseph  and  teach  him  what  had  to  be 
done  to  restore  the  gospel  again  to  the 
earth  before  the  coming  of  the  great 
and  dreadful  day  for  the  wicked,  but 
for  the  righteous,  the  glorious  day  of 
the  Lord. 

In  the  second  great  vision  which 
Joseph  Smith  received,  the  Angel 
Moroni  quoted  the  words  of  Malachi 
as  they  were  originally  written  and 
should  have  been  translated: 

"Behold,  I  will  reveal  unto  you  the 
Priesthood,  by  the  hand  of  Elijah  the 
prophet,  before  the  coming  of  the 
great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord. 

"And  he  shall  plant  in  the  hearts 
of  the  children  the  promises  made  to 
the  fathers,  and  the  hearts  of  the  chil- 
dren shall  turn  to  their  fathers. 

"If  it  were  not  so,  the  whole  earth 
would  be  utterly  wasted  at  his  com- 
ing." (D&C  2:1-3.) 

After  Joseph  Smith  received  the 
priesthood  and  the  power  thereof,  it 
was  explained  to  him  that  the  word 


"turn"  could  be  better  understood  if 
the  word  "seal"  were  used.  Thus  the 
full  meaning  of  the  work  of  the  priest- 
hood becomes  clear,  that  after  Elijah 
shall  plant  in  the  hearts  of  the  chil- 
dren the  promises  made  to  the  fathers, 
the  children  should  be  sealed  to  the 
fathers,  otherwise  the  meaning  of  life 
would  be  misunderstood  and  the  whole 
purpose  of  life  on  this  earth  would  be 
utterly  wasted  when  Christ  should  re- 
turn again  to  claim  his  children. 

Commandment  to  Teach  the  Gospel 

First  of  all,  then,  we  may  ask  a 
question.  What  were  the  promises 
made  to  the  fathers  which  are  so  im- 
portant to  our  understanding?  The 
first  father  was  Adam,  and  the  Lord 
gave  him  a  commandment  to  teach 
this  promise  freely  unto  his  children, 
saying: 

"That  by  reason  of  transgression 
cometh  the  fall,  which  fall  bringeth 
death,  and  inasmuch  as  ye  were  born 
into  the  world  by  water,  and  blood, 
and  the  spirit,  which  I  have  made, 
and  so  became  of  dust  a  living  soul, 
even  so  ye  must  be  born  again  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  of  water,  and 
of  the  Spirit,  and  be  cleansed  by  blood, 
even  the  blood  of  mine  Only  Begotten; 
that  ye  might  be  sanctified  from  all 
sin  and  enjoy  the  words  of  eternal 
life  in  this  world,  and  eternal  life  in 
the  world  to  come,  even  immortal 
glory; 

"For  by  the  water  ye  keep  the  com- 
mandment; by  the  Spirit  ye  are 
justified,  and  by  the  blood  ye  are 
sanctified; 

"Therefore  it  is  given  to  abide  in 
you;  the  record  of  heaven;  the  Com- 
forter; the  peaceable  things  of  immor- 
tal glory;  the  truth  of  all  things;  that 
which  quickeneth  all  things,  which 
maketh  alive  all  things;  that  which 
knoweth  all  things,  and  hath  all 
power  according  to  wisdom,  mercy, 
truth,  justice,  and  judgment. 

"And  now,  behold  I  say  unto  you: 
This  is  the  plan  of  salvation  unto  all 
men,  through  the  blood  of  mine  Only 
Begotten,  who  shall  come  in  the 
meridian  of  time."  (Moses  6:59-62. 
Italics  added.) 


112  GENERAL  C 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

Covenant  of  Adam 

When  Adam,  hearing  and  under- 
standing these  words,  made  this  cove- 
nant and  was  sealed  accordingly  to 
become  alive  both  spiritually  and 
physically,  God  said  to  him: 

".  .  .  Thou  art  baptized  with  fire, 
and  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  is  the 
record  of  the  Father,  and  the  Son,  from 
henceforth  and  forever; 

"And  thou  art  after  the  order  of  him 
who  was  without  beginning  of  days 
or  end  of  years,  from  all  eternity  to 
all  eternity. 

"Behold,  thou  art  one  in  me,  a  son 
of  God;  and  thus  may  all  become  my 
sons.  Amen."  (Ibid.,  6:66-68.) 

Sealed  by  the  Priesthood 

Thus  Adam  was  sealed  a  son  of  God 
by  the  priesthood,  and  this  promise 
was  taught  among  the  fathers  from 
that  time  forth  as  a  glorious  hope  to 
men  and  women  on  the  earth  if  they 
would  listen  and  give  heed  to  these 
promises. 

It  was  this  power  of  sealing  which 
was  given  as  a  key  to  Elijah  by  which 
he  could  seal  the  heavens  that  it  did 
not  rain  on  the  wicked  King  Ahab 
and  his  unrighteous  wife  Jezebel  nor 
on  his  whole  kingdom  for  the  space 
of  three  years  and  six  months  (Luke 
4:25;  James  5:1)  until  the  power  of 
God  was  felt  in  the  land.  Later  through 
the  use  of  this  priesthood,  Elijah  loosed 
the  rains,  which  came  again  to  restore 
life  to  the  parched  land.  It  was  this 
same  sealing  power  which  Jesus  Christ 
promised  Peter  as  he  said: 

"And  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven:  and  whatsc*- 
ever  thou  shalt  bind  on  earth  shall  be 
bound  in  heaven:  and  whatsoever  thou 
shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in 
heaven."  (Matt.  16:19.) 

Power  to  Seal 

This  sealing  power  of  the  priesthood 
he  later  gave  to  the  Twelve  Apostles  as 
he  said  to  them: 

"Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Whatsoever 
ye  shall  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound 
in  heaven:  and  whatsoever  ye  shall 
loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in 
heaven."  (Ibid.,  18:18.) 


Third  Day 

Thus,  when,  according  to  prophecy 
the  Lord  restored  the  sealing  power 
of  the  priesthood  to  earth  again,  he 
informed  Joseph  that  he  would  send: 

". . .  Elijah,  unto  whom  I  have  com- 
mitted the  keys  of  the  power  of  turning 
[sealing]  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to 
the  children,  and  the  hearts  of  the 
children  to  the  fathers,  that  the  whole 
earth  may  not  be  smitten  with  a  curse;" 
(D&C  27:9.) 

Joseph  Smith  recorded  how  this 
came  to  pass  on  April  3,  1836,  in  the 
temple  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  as  he  wrote: 

"After  this  vision  had  closed,  another 
great  and  glorious  vision  burst  upon 
us;  for  Elijah  the  prophet,  who  was 
taken  to  heaven  without  tasting  death, 
stood  before  us,  and  said: 

"Behold,  the  time  has  fully  come, 
which  was  spoken  of  by  the  mouth  of 
Malachi— -testifying  that  he  [Elijah] 
should  be  sent,  before  the  great  and 
dreadful  day  of  the  Lord  come— 

"To  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to 
the  children,  and  the  children  to  the 
fathers,  lest  the  whole  earth  be  smitten 
with  a  curse — 

"Therefore,  the  keys  of  this  dispen- 
sation are  committed  into  your  hands; 
and  by  this  ye  may  know  that  the 
great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord  is 
near,  even  at  the  doors."  (Ibid.,  110:13- 
16.) 

The  question  is  sometimes  asked  why 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  forgot  to 
include  a  baptismal  font  in  the  Kirt- 
land Temple  so  that  the  work  of  sal- 
vation for  the  dead  could  be  done.  He 
did  not  forget  or  overlook  this  matter. 
The  doctrine  had  not  yet  been  fully 
revealed,  and  there  was  as  yet  no 
sealing  power  given.  It  is  true  that 
the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  had  been 
restored  by  Peter,  James,  and  John 
and  the  gospel  ordinances  had  been 
revealed,  but  there  was  as  yet  no  seal- 
ing power  given.  This  came  with 
Elijah's  visit  as  he  restored  the  sealing 
power  of  the  priesthood  to  the  earth. 

Authority  to  Seal 

I  want  to  impress  upon  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  that 
the  great  key  of  the  priesthood  which 


ELDER  THEODC 

was  given  by  Elijah  to  Joseph  was  the 
authority  to  seal  on  earth  and  have 
that  sealing  become  effective  in  the 
heavens.  It  was  not  the  work  for  the 
dead  which  he  restored,  but  the  power 
to  seal  the  living  which  made  work 
for  the  dead  possible.  It  must  be  under- 
stood that  the  power  of  Elijah  is  given 
to  the  living,  not  to  the  dead.  It  is  the 
living  which  are  to  be  sealed  to  one 
another  according  to  family  lines, 
father  to  mother  and  parents  to  chil- 
dren and  children  to  parents.  Only 
through  the  exercise  of  this  great  seal- 
ing power  of  the  priesthood  for  the 
living  do  baptism  for  the  dead  and 
salvation  for  the  dead  become  mean- 
ingful and  possible. 

Ordinances  for  the  Dead 

When  the  living  are  sealed,  they 
may  act  as  proxies  for  those  who  are 
dead,  for  as  Peter  taught: 

"For  for  this  cause  was  the  gospel 
preached  also  to  them  that  are  dead, 
that  they  might  be  judged  according 
to  men  in  the  flesh,  but  live  according 
to  God  in  the  spirit."  (1  Peter  4:6.) 

It  was  for  this  purpose  that  Jesus 
Christ  preached  to  the  spirits  in  prison, 
that  they  might  be  converted  and  be 
willing  to  accept  the  sealings  performed 
in  their  behalf  by  their  living  descen- 
dants. Unless  the  family  of  the  righ- 
teous are  thus  sealed  together  from 
father  to  son  and  from  mother  to 
daughter  back  to  Adam  and  from 
Adam  to  Christ  and  from  Jesus  Christ 
to  God  the  Eternal  Father,  the  purpose 
of  earth  life  has  been  missed,  and  life 
itself  has  been  a  waste. 

By  the  power  of  this  priesthood  re- 
stored by  the  Prophet  Elijah,  it  is  now 
possible  for  a  man  to  prove  his  love 
for  his  wife  and  family  by  living  righ- 
teously enough  to  be  worthy  to  take 
them  with  him  into  a  temple  of  the 
Lord  and  have  them  sealed  to  him, 
not  for  this  life  alone,  but  by  this  great 
sealing  power  to  have  that  union  sealed 
in  the  heavens  for  all  eternity.  When 
the  poet  sang  of  a  love  which  would 
last  until  the  "stars  grow  old  and  the 
sun  grows  cold,"  he  was  not  singing 
of  a  love  that  was  only  to  last  "until 
death  do  you  part,"  but  of  a  marriage 


\E  M.  BURTON  113 

that  would  last  throughout  the  eternity 
of  time,  never  withering,  never  dying, 
never  growing  old  or  commonplace. 

By  the  same  token,  then,  our  hearts 
being  turned  to  the  promises  made 
to  the  fathers,  we  are  also  turned  to  the 
fathers  themselves.  Should  they  lan- 
guish in  a  spirit  prison  or  be  held  back 
from  spiritual  growth  because  they 
were  born  at  a  time  when  this  sealing 
power  was  not  on  the  earth?  As  God 
is  a  just  God  and  one  who  loves  his 
children,  a  way  has  been  prepared 
whereby  those  who  are  dead  may  be 
identified  and  then  sealed  together 
in  a  family  relationship  in  the  temples 
of  the  Lord  by  their  descendants  who 
love  them  enough  to  do  this  work  for 
them. 

We  have  assumed  that  this  work  was 
to  be  done  merely  as  a  gesture  of  grace 
on  the  part  of  the  living  for  those  of 
our  ancestors  who  are  dead.  This  is  a 
misconception  which  comes  from  not 
understanding  the  full  meaning  of  the 
gospel.  The  plan  of  salvation  is  the 
plan  of  saving  the  children  of  God  in 
a  family  relationship.  Indeed,  we  may 
call  this  a  universal  salvation  because 
it  applies  to  all  men  and  women  who 
will  qualify  themselves  through  re- 
pentance and  desire  to  become  the 
children  of  God.  We  cannot  be  saved 
without  our  progenitors.  In  spite  of 
the  faith  of  all  the  prophets  as  cited 
by  Paul  in  the  eleventh  chapter  of 
Hebrews,  he  concludes  by  saying: 

"And  these  all,  having  obtained  a 
good  report  through  faith,  received  not 
the  promise: 

"God  having  provided  some  better 
thing  for  us,  that  they  without  us 
should  not  be  made  perfect."  (Heb. 
11:39-40.) 

We  must  be  linked  to  them,  and 
they  to  their  fathers  and  mothers  back 
to  Father  Adam  and  Mother  Eve,  and 
they  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  he  to  God  as 
his  Only  Begotten  Son  in  the  flesh. 
Thus  to  save  our  own  selves  and  to 
complete  our  own  salvation,  we  must 
have  our  hearts  turned  to  our  fathers, 
seek  out  their  identities,  and  perform 
the  work  of  salvation  for  them.  We 
will  be  held  accountable  for  their 
blood  unless  we  do  so. 


114 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

Work  of  Elijah  for  the  Living  and 
the  Dead 

So  the  work  of  Elijah  was  not  con- 
fined to  the  living  or  to  the  dead.  It 
was  a  universal  mission  both  for  the 
living  and  the  dead  whereby  the  way 
was  opened  for  all  who  will  to  hearken 
and  obey  and  so  receive  the  glory  re- 
served for  those  who  love  the  Lord.  As 
Jesus  told  John  the  Beloved: 

"Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door,  and 
knock:  if  any  man  hear  my  voice  and 
open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him, 
and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with 
me."  (Rev.  3:20.) 

So  the  knock  is  at  the  door.  Any 
man  who  really  loves  his  wife  and  his 
family  will  not  rest  until  he  can 
qualify  himself  by  acceptance  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  by  righteous  liv- 
ing to  take  his  wife  and  family  with 
him  into  the  temple  of  the  Lord  and 


Third  Day 

there  have  them  sealed  to  him  forever 
under  the  sealing  power  of  the  priest- 
hood, which  was  brought  again  to 
earth  by  the  hand  of  the  Prophet  Eli- 
jah that  our  hearts  may  be  filled  with 
these  great  promises  made  to  the 
fathers  and  that  we  may  be  sealed  into 
the  family  of  Jesus  Christ  and  through 
him  to  be  brought  into  the  presence 
of  God  the  Eternal  Father. 

I  testify  of  the  truth  of  these  things 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

Elder  Theodore  M.  Burton,  Assistant 
to  the  Twelve,  has  just  addressed  us. 
Elder  Eldred  G.  Smith,  patriarch  to 
the  Church,  will  be  our  next  speaker, 
and  he  will  be  followed  by  Elder 
LeGrand  Richards  of  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve. 


ELDER  ELDRED  G.  SMITH 

Patriarch  to  the  Church 


We  have  heard  much  concerning 
family  unity  in  the  home  during  this 
conference.  Truly  this  is  a  family 
church. 

Evidences  of  Disintegration 

I,  too,  am  concerned  at  the  far  too 
many  divorces  and  temple  cancella- 
tions and  signs  of  disunity  among 
members  of  the  Church.  The  gospel 
should  be  the  greatest  means  of  uniting 
the  family. 

I  can't  understand  how  anyone  who 
has  been  married  in  the  temple  and 
understands  the  meaning  of  celestial 
marriage,  which  is  for  time  and  all 
eternity,  can  get  himself  in  such  a  con- 
dition as  even  to  consider  divorce. 

Evidences  of  Salvation  and  Survival 

I  am  pleased  with  the  increasing 
reports  of  success  in  missionary  work 
as  a  result  of  teaching  families.  The 
fundamental  purpose  for  which  this 
earth  was  created  was  to  establish  indi- 
vidual families  forever.  The  family  is 
the  only  organization  which  is  eternal. 

In  the  beginning  God  said,  "It  is  not 


good  for  man  to  be  alone."  (See  Gen. 
2:18.) 

Learning  To  Be  Perfect 

One  of  the  fundamental  purposes  of 
this  life  is  to  have  experiences  whereby 
we  may  learn  to  be  perfect.  Man  is  not 
perfect  without  the  woman,  nor  is  the 
woman  perfect  without  the  man. 

The  Lord  said  unto  Adam  and  Eve, 
as  he  drove  them  from  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  that  they  might  learn  obedience 
by  their  own  experience. 

He  said  "they,"  not  the  singular 
pronoun  but  the  plural.  We  are  given 
many  varied  experiences  in  this  life 
to  prepare  us  to  live  together  forever. 
These  experiences  should  bring  an 
ever  increasing  love  for  each  other. 
This  includes  learning  to  be  patient 
with  each  other,  to  develop  increasing 
tolerance,  consideration,  and  kindness. 
Love  is  eternal  and  knows  no  bounds 
and  has  no  measurable  limits. 

Priesthood  and  motherhood  go  hand 
in  hand.  Neither  is  complete  without 
the  other.  Both  are  eternal.  A  perfect 
family  requires  the  proper  fulfilment 


ELDER  ELDRED  G.  SMITH 


115 


of  both.  This  life  is  to  help  us  fulfil 
these  two  responsibilities,  that  we  may 
exercise  them  through  eternity. 

Priesthood  and  Perfection 

Priesthood  is  patriarchal,  which 
means  "of  the  father."  A  married  man 
is  the  patriarch  of  his  home  and  is 
responsible  to  bless  members  of  his 
family.  The  exercising  of  this  privilege 
could  be  a  means  of  preventing  many 
broken  homes.  We  think  of  a  priest- 
hood holder  as  one  who  should  bless  or 
christen  his  children,  baptize  and  con- 
firm them,  and  perform  the  other 
ordinances  of  the  gospel  in  behalf  of 
members  of  his  family.  We  forget  that 
it  is  not  required  to  have  some  other 
ordinance  such  as  christening  and  con- 
firming attached  thereto  to  enable  the 
father  to  bless  members  of  his  family. 
His  responsibility  is  not  only  to  bless 
his  children,  but  his  wife  is  an  impor- 
tant member  of  his  family  too.  Yes,  we 
think  of  blessing  the  wife  when  she  is 
sick,  but  if  the  relationship  between 
husband  and  wife  becomes  a  bit 
strained,  wouldn't  it  be  a  good  thing 
for  the  husband  to  give  his  wife  a 
blessing  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  unity  and  love  for  each  other? 

I  remember  an  experience  I  had 
when  a  good  sister  who  wanted  a  spe- 
cial blessing  came  to  my  office.  When 
I  asked  her  why  she  wanted  a  special 
blessing,  she  refused  to  tell  me.  I 
learned  from  her  that  her  husband  was 
a  member  of  the  Church  and  held  the 
Melchizedek  Priesthood,  so  I  spent 
considerable  time  trying  to  teach  her 
the  principle  of  priesthood  order,  where 
the  father  in  the  home  should  bless  the 
members  of  the  family,  and  concluded 
a  long  discussion  of  teaching  her  this 
principle,  by  having  her  go  home  to 
get  her  blessing  from  her  husband  in- 
stead of  from  me. 

Sometime  later  she  returned  to  my 
office,  refreshed  my  memory  of  this 
experience,  and  said  she  left  my  office 
very  resentful.  Here  I  thought  I  had 
done  a  good  job  in  teaching  her  this 
principle  of  priesthood  order,  so  I  had 
to  ask  more  questions  to  find  out  what 
had  happened. 

She  said  the  reason  she  refused  to 
tell  me  why  she  wanted  a  blessing 


was  that  she  wanted  the  blessing  be- 
cause there  wasn't  the  proper  relation- 
ship between  her  and  her  husband, 
and  then  I  had  sent  her  home  to  get  a 
blessing  from  her  husband.  So  natu- 
rally she  was  a  little  bit  resentful. 

Then  she  added,  "That  was  one  of 
the  finest  things  that  ever  happened." 
She  said  she  went  home,  she  prayed 
about  it,  she  thought  about  it,  and 
then  finally  she  mustered  enough  cour- 
age to  ask  her  husband  for  the  bless- 
ing. Of  course  it  shocked  him,  but  she 
was  patient;  she  let  him  think  it  over 
a  bit,  ponder  about  it,  and  pray  about 
it;  and  finally  he  gave  her  a  blessing. 
Then  she  added,  "There  has  never 
been  such  a  fine  relationship  in  our 
home  in  all  our  lives  as  we  have  had 
since  he  gave  me  that  blessing." 

Naturally  I  could  see  what  had  hap- 
pened. This  is  a  two-way  street.  First 
she  had  to  clean  her  side  of  the 
slate  and  humble  herself.  Then  she 
asked  him  for  the  blessing,  and  he  had 
to  humble  himself  and  clean  his  side 
of  the  slate.  Then  he  sealed  the  bless- 
ing upon  her  which  they  had  ful- 
filled by  living  the  law  upon  which 
the  blessing  was  predicated.  This  is 
priesthood  order. 

"Brethren  magnify  Priesthood" 

Brethren,  magnify  your  priesthood. 
Bless  your  family,  your  children  and 
your  wife.  When  we  follow  the  order 
which  the  Lord  has  laid  out  for  us,  we 
cannot  fail.  I  believe  this  practice 
would  save  many  teetering  marriages 
and  increase  the  unity  in  many  homes. 

It  is  usually  the  wife  who  is  trying  to 
save  the  marriage.  This  is  a  two-way 
street.  It  requires  the  efforts  of  both. 

Too  many  couples  are  living  lives 
of  "quiet  desperation."  I  don't  know 
who  used  that  term  first,  but  it  is  so 
expressive.  Some  go  through  life  just 
tolerating  each  other  rather  than  cor- 
recting the  trouble.  Do  something 
about  it.  Exercise  the  priesthood  which 
is  in  your  home. 

First,  each  must  have  a  desire  to  get 
along  with  each  other.  Each  must  be 
willing  to  do  something  to  make 
amends.  Each  must  be  willing  to  for- 
give and  forget  Wipe  the  slate  clean 
of  all  unpleasant  memories. 


116 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

Ask  the  Father  for  help.  Ask  him  to 
bless  your  efforts  with  success.  Ask 
together,  as  well  as  separately  in  indi- 
vidual prayers.  Kneel  together  and 
pray  vocally  together. 

When  you  are  married  you  must 
learn  to  do  all  things  together.  You 
are  no  longer  single  individuals. 

The  joy  and  happiness  that  comes 
from  sharing  this  life  together,  living 
the  gospel  in  its  fulness,  is  worth  all 
the  effort  you  put  into  it,  and  it  will 
be  rewarding  in  this  life  and  through 
all  eternity. 

May  we  all  strive  to  this  end  is  my 
prayer  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 


President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 

He  to  whom  you  have  just  listened 
is  Elder  Eldred  G.  Smith,  patriarch 
to  the  Church.  Elder  LeGrand  Rich- 
ards of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  will 
be  our  concluding  speaker,  and  the 
Logan  Institute  of  Religion  Choir  will 
sing,  "Praise  the  Lord,"  by  Cyril  Jen- 
kins, and  conducted  by  James  L.  Brad- 
ley. The  benediction  will  be  offered 
by  Elder  Karl  R.  Lyman,  formerly  pres- 
ident of  the  Florida  Mission,  after 
which  this  conference  will  be  ad- 
journed until  2  o'clock  this  after- 
noon. 


ELDER  LeGRi 

Of  the  Council  of 

My  brothers  and  sisters,  in  your  pres- 
ence this  morning  I  would  like  to  ex- 
press my  gratitude  to  my  Heavenly 
Father  for  my  membership  in  his 
Church,  and  for  what  it  means  to  me 
and  my  family,  and  for  the  pattern  of 
life  that  it  gives  us  to  live  by,  and  for 
the  thousands  of  faithful  Latter-day 
Saints  who  are  such  wonderful  friends 
everywhere  I  go  in  the  Church.  This 
is  the  greatest  brotherhood  in  all  the 
world. 

Many  of  you  know  that  I  have  spent 
many  years  in  missionary  service,  and 
I  thank  the  Lord  for  this  great  arm  of 
his  Church.  As  we  heard  here  today  in 
the  statistics  that  were  given,  there  are 
over  16,000  at  the  present  time  engaged 
in  this  missionary  work,  one  of  the 
most  unselfish  contributions  for  the 
blessing  of  humanity  that  this  world 
has  ever  known.  And  as  we  labor 
among  the  people  and  see  what  the 
gospel  does  for  them,  that  is  when  we 
really  realize  what  a  marvelous  thing 
this  work  is. 

A  Man  Anew 

I  would  like  to  make  reference  today 
to  a  few  of  my  experiences.  When  I 
was  president  of  a  mission,  a  brother 
was  on  his  way  home  from  doing  his 
branch  teaching,  and  he  saw  my  light 
burning,  and  he  belled  on,  and  said, 


[D  RICHARDS 

ie  Twelve  Apostles 

"President  Richards,  I  was  just  won- 
dering, as  I  was  going  home,  when  I 
saw  your  light,  if  you  would  be  inter- 
ested in  knowing  what  I  was  thinking." 
And  I  told  him  I  certainly  would.  So 
he  came  in.  He  said,  "I  was  thinking 
of  who  I  was,  and  what  I  was  when  the 
Mormon  elders  came  to  my  home,  and 
who  I  am  today  and  what  I  am,  and 
I  just  can't  believe  that  I  am  the  same 
man."  He  said,  "I  have  changed  so 
much.  I  don't  think  the  same  thoughts. 
I  don't  have  the  same  habits.  I  don't 
have  the  same  ideals  to  live  by.  I  have 
completely  changed."  Isn't  that  what 
the  Apostle  Paul  meant  when  he  said 
that  we  are  buried  with  Christ  in  bap- 
tism and  that  as  he  arose  to  the  glory 
of  his  Father  that  we  should  come  forth 
and  walk  in  a  newness  of  life,  knowing 
this  first,  that  our  old  man  of  sin  is 
buried  with  him?  (See  Rom.  6:4.) 

You  can  go  all  over  this  Church  and 
apply  that  to  all  who  have  come  in 
in  faith  and  have  entered  into  the  wa- 
ters of  baptism  and  have  taken  upon 
them  the  name  of  Christ  our  Lord. 
According  to  the  statistics  here  today 
we  had  nearly  100,000  converts  during 
the  last  year,  people  who  have  left  the 
teachings  of  their  youth  and  joined 
this  Church  because  they  found  some- 
thing in  it  that  they  did  not  already 
possess  in  their  own  churches. 


ELDER  LeGRJ 

What  Will  Unite  Christendom? 

During  the  year  we  converted  a  very 
prominent  minister  who  has  held  re- 
ligious revivals  all  over  the  United 
States  and  has  known  many,  many 
ministers.  I  visited  with  him,  and  this 
is  what  convinced  him:  He  realized 
how  this  world  was  divided  upon 
spiritual  matters.  If  you  just  stop  to 
think  for  a  moment  of  all  the  hundreds 
of  so-called  Christian  churches  in  the 
world,  they  have  all  come  into  exis- 
tence because  they  couldn't  agree  in 
their  interpretation  of  the  Bible.  If  we 
had  all  the  Bibles  in  the  world,  that 
wouldn't  unite  Christianity.  It  comes 
back  to  what  was  mentioned  here  a 
few  moments  ago  by  Brother  Franklin 
D.  Richards,  that  one  of  the  funda- 
mentals of  this  Church  is  modern 
revelation,  and  that  is  what  convinced 
this  minister  that  I  have  been  talking 
about. 

He  has  now  been  going  around  re- 
newing friendships  with  many  of  the 
ministers  he  has  known  and  making 
appointments  for  one  of  our  brethren 
to  meet  with  them  and  talk  with  them, 
and  they  are  beginning  to  recognize 
that  the  great  loss  in  this  Christian 
world  today  is  the  lack  of  modern  reve- 
lation— lack  of  something  authorita- 
tive that  we  can  turn  to  that  tells  us 
what  is  right  and  what  is  wrong.  How 
could  we  hope  with  some  hundreds  of 
these  different  churches  that  they  can 
ever  get  together  and  reconcile  their 
differences,  and  even  if  they  did  that, 
where  would  they  get  their  authority  to 
bind  the  heavens  to  which  reference 
has  been  made  here  today? 

Modern  Revelation 

And  so  we  come  back  to  the  story 
that  has  been  told  us  during  this  con- 
ference of  a  search  for  truth  on  the  part 
of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  its 
importance  in  our  lives. 

Speaking  of  this  fundamental  re- 
quirement, all  of  the  mistakes  in  doc- 
trine could  have  been  avoided  if  the 
Lord  had  just  had  living  prophets  for 
the  world,  and  that  is  what  has  brought 
us  to  what  we  are  today.  If  all  of  the 
Bibles  in  this  world  had  been  de- 
stroyed, we  would  still  be  preaching 


ID  RICHARDS  117 

what  we  are  preaching.  We  didn't  get 
our  Church  by  a  study  of  the  Bible; 
we  got  it  through  the  revelations  of 
God  the  Eternal  Father  and  the  send- 
ing to  this  earth  of  heavenly  messen- 
gers that  have  brought  back  the  power 
to  officiate  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
and  have  given  us  a  clear,  compre- 
hensive understanding  of  the  truths 
of  the  gospel. 

When  I  was  in  Holland  on  a  mis- 
sion, I  was  invited  at  one  time  to  talk 
to  a  group  of  businessmen — a  Bible 
class.  We  met  in  the  home  of  a  prom- 
inent furniture  dealer.  They  gave  me 
an  hour  and  a  half  and  a  subject  to 
discuss.  At  the  close  of  the  hour  and 
a  half  I  don't  think  there  had  been  one 
question  asked.  I  laid  my  Bible  on  the 
table  and  folded  my  arms  and  waited 
for  a  comment.  The  first  comment 
came  from  a  daughter  of  the  man  of 
the  house.  She  was  the  only  woman 
in  the  room  at  that  time  with  about 
twenty  businessmen,  each  with  his 
Bible.  She  said,  "Father,  I  just  can't 
understand  it.  I  have  never  attended 
one  of  these  Bible  classes  in  my  life 
that  you  haven't  had  the  last  word  to 
say  on  everything,  and  tonight  you 
haven't  said  a  word." 

He  shook  his  head  and  said,  "There 
isn't  anything  to  say.  This  man  has 
been  teaching  us  things  we  have  never 
heard  of,  and  he  has  been  teaching 
them  to  us  out  of  our  own  Bibles." 
Now,  that's  why  we  have  to  have 
modern  revelation.  No  one  but  God 
the  Eternal  Father  could  give  us  the 
truth. 

Joseph  of  Egypt  Told  of  the  Modern 
Prophet 

You  will  remember  the  promise  we 
read  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  how  the 
Lord  promised  Joseph,  who  was  sold 
into  Egypt,  that  he  would  raise  up  a 
prophet  from  his  loins  in  the  latter 
days  by  the  name  of  Joseph,  whose 
father's  name  would  be  Joseph.  He 
would  bring  forth  his  word.  He  not 
only  would  bring  forth  his  word,  but 
would  also  bring  men  to  conviction  of 
his  word  that  had  already  gone  forth 
among  them.  (See  2  Nephi  3:7-15.) 
And  that  is  what  our  message  is  as 
missionaries  to  the  world:  it  is  to 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


118 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

teach  them  the  truths  that  have  been 
revealed  through  the  restoration  of  the 
gospel,  through  the  promised  prophet. 

I  would  like  to  refer  to  another  ex- 
perience I  had  a  few  years  ago.  Two 
of  the  large  churches  of  the  western 
part  of  the  United  States  were  holding 
a  convention  here  in  Salt  Lake  City. 
The  leader  wrote  a  letter  to  President 
McKay  and  asked  if  he  would  send 
one  of  the  General  Authorities  to  at- 
tend that  convention  and  to  talk  for 
two  hours  in  the  morning  session  and 
tell  them  the  story  of  Mormonism 
and  to  remain  as  their  guest  for  lunch 
and  then  to  remain  for  an  hour  and  a 
half  in  the  afternoon  and  let  them 
ask  questions. 

President  McKay  gave  me  the 
assignment,  and  of  course  I  was  happy 
because  I  have  always  told  the  mission- 
aries that  you  never  need  to  worry 
about  arguing  as  long  as  you  learn 
how  to  tell  our  story  and  you  keep  the 
lead,  for  you  are  telling  people  things 
they  have  never  heard  of.  They 
pushed  their  luncheon  back  a  half  an 
hour  and  gave  me  two  hours  and  a 
half.  I  said,  "Do  you  want  it  just  the 
way  we  believe  it,  how  we  got  this 
Church  and  what  we  believe?"  And 
the  leader  said,  "That's  what  we  want." 
Of  course,  there  isn't  time  to  tell  you 
very  much  about  that,  but  1  talked  for 
two  hours  and  a  half  to  them,  and 
when  I  went  to  leave,  the  man  in 
charge  said,  "Mr.  Richards,  this  has 
been  one  of  the  most  interesting  experi- 
ences of  my  entire  life." 

All  those  leaders,  ministers,  church 
executives  of  these  western  states  only 
asked  me  one  question,  and  I  think  you 
might  be  interested  in  what  that  ques- 
tion was.  The  leader  said,  "Now,  Mr. 
Richards,  you  have  told  us  that  you 
believe  that  God  is  a  personal  God." 
I  said,  "That's  right,  that's  the  very 
foundation  of  our  religion:  whom  we 
worship." 

Now,  brothers  and  sisters,  we  have 
nothing  to  fear;  we  have  everything 
to  give.  The  heavens  have  been  opened, 
and  the  Lord  has  revealed  his  truth. 

By  the  way,  this  minister  I  just  told 
you  about  that  believes  in  modern 
revelation  has  another  minister  ready 
for  baptism  who  gives  a  radio  address 
every  day  in  one  of  our  largest  cities, 


Third  Day 

and  the  only  thing  that  is  holding  him 
back  is  that  he  doesn't  know  what  he 
is  going  to  do  for  a  living  when  he 
joins  the  Church.  But  he  has  already 
confessed  that  he  believes  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  God. 

A  Minister  with  the  Aaronic  Priesthood 

Sometime  back,  we  converted  a 
minister  who  had  been  a  minister  for 
thirty  years.  I  heard  a  letter  read  that 
he  wrote  in  which  he  said  he  had 
always  believed  that  he  had  as  much 
authority  as  any  man  to  administer  the 
ordinances  of  the  gospel  until  he  met 
the  Mormon  missionaries.  "Now,"  he 
said,  "I  have  come  to  believe  that  I 
must  accept  baptism  at  their  hands," 
and  after  he  was  baptized,  he  told  me 
this  himself  as  he  sat  in  my  office.  He 
said,  "I  accepted  Joseph  Smith  as  a 
Prophet  of  God.  I  didn't  feel  that  I 
could  say  I  knew  he  was  a  Prophet, 
but  I  believed  he  was  a  Prophet.  But," 
he  said,  "when  the  elders  of  Israel  laid 
their  hands  upon  my  head  and  con- 
ferred upon  me  the  Aaronic  Priesthood, 
I  felt  a  thrill  go  through  my  being  from 
the  crown  of  my  head  to  the  soles  of 
my  feet  such  as  I  had  never  felt  in  my 
life,  and  I  knew  that  no  man  could  do 
that  for  me,  that  such  feelings  had  to 
come  from  the  Lord." 

When  he  sat  in  my  office,  he  said 
this,  "Brother  Richards,  when  I  think 
of  how  little  I  had  to  offer  my  people 
as  a  minister  of  the  gospel  compared 
to  what  I  now  have  in  the  fulness  of 
the  gospel  as  it  has  been  restored,  I 
want  to  go  back  and  tell  all  my  friends 
what  I  have  found.  Now  they  won't 
listen  to  me.  I  am  an  apostate  from 
their  church."  But  his  conversion  was 
so  genuine  that  he  gave  up  his  minis- 
try and  took  a  menial  job  in  order  that 
he  might  become  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  and  worship 
God  the  Eternal  Father  according  to 
the  new  conversion  and  conviction  that 
the  Lord  had  planted  in  his  heart. 

He  pointed  to  this  temple  here  on 
this  temple  block  and  said,  "I  can't  wait 
to  get  in  there  with  my  wife."  That  was 
one  of  the  principles  that  appealed  to 
him.  How  could  any  true  Christian 
who  lives  the  principles  of  righteous- 
ness and  treats  his  wife  and  his  chil- 


ELDER  LeGRJ 

dren  as  he  should — how  could  he  ever 
look  forward  to  an  eternity  without 
the  companionship  of  his  wife  and  his 
children?  And  yet  because  of  lack  of 
divine  inspiration  and  modern  revela- 
tion, the  scriptures  have  been  so  mis- 
understood that  there  isn't  another  one 
of  the  reputable  churches  of  this  world, 
according  to  my  investigation,  that  be- 
lieves that  the  marriage  covenant  and 
the  family  unit  will  project  itself 
beyond  the  grave. 

Building  for  a  Thousand  Years 

We  have  had  some  wonderful  talks 
on  this  subject  in  this  conference. 
President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith  gave 
us  a  wonderful  doctrinal  talk  in  the 
first  meeting  on  this  subject.  But  people 
have  been  misled,  and  what  is  there 
now  to  induce  them  to  live  the  kind 
of  lives  they  ought  to  live.  We  have 
to  have  a  foundation  upon  which  to 
build.  I  like  the  story  they  tell  about 
when  they  built  this  great  temple  here 
on  this  temple  block,  and  they  tell 
us  that  the  footings  are  sixteen  feet 
wide,  and  at  one  time  President  Brig- 
ham  Young  came  along  and  saw  them 
throwing  in  some  chipped  granite. 
He  made  them  take  it  out  and  put  in 
these  great  granite  blocks  with  this 
explanation:  "We  are  building  this 
temple  to  stand  through  the  millen- 
nium." 

Is  there  any  man  in  Israel  or  any 
man  who  truly  loves  his  family  who 
doesn't  want  to  build  his  home  to  stand 
through  the  millennium?  Can  you 
imagine  living  forever  and  forever 
without  the  companionship  of  your 
wife  and  your  children?  I  would  just  as 
soon  believe  that  death  is  a  complete 
annihilation  of  both  body  and  spirit 
as  to  think  that  the  ties  that  are  so 
sacred  here  could  not  be  projected  into 
the  eternal  world. 

And  that  is  what  the  Lord  has  prom- 
ised us  through  modern  revelation.  We 
don't  have  to  depend  upon  man's  in- 
terpretation of  the  Bible.  We  have  the 
word  of  the  Lord  himself  to  his  Proph- 
et of  this  dispensation,  telling  us  what 
we  must  do  to  have  our  wives  and 
our  children  throughout  the  count- 
less ages  of  eternity.  No  wonder  the 
Christian  world,  who  know  nothing 


T>  RICHARDS  119 

about  the  three  degrees  of  glory  that 
President  Brown  spoke  about,  don't 
know  how  to  plan.  There  never  was 
a  time  that  the  Lord  gave  this  revela- 
tion as  completely,  as  far  as  we  know, 
until  that  revelation  was  given  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 

Paul  was  caught  up  into  the  third 
heaven  and  the  paradise  of  God,  and 
he  saw  things  he  was  not  permitted 
to  write.  (See  2  Cor.  12:2-4.)  He  must 
have  seen  something  pretty  wonderful 
by  the  time  he  had  passed  the  first  and 
the  second  heaven  and  the  paradise  of 
God  into  the  third  heaven,  but  he  did 
say,  "Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard, 
neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of 
man,  the  things  which  God  hath  pre- 
pared for  them  that  love  him."  (1  Cor. 
2:9.) 

I  thank  the  Lord  that  we  have  the 
truth.  I  like  the  statement  made  by 
Anderson  M.  Baten  to  his  wife  Beulah, 
in  which  he  said: 

"I  wed  thee  forever,  not  for  now, 
Not  for  the  sham  of  earth's  brief  years. 
I  wed  thee  for  the  life  beyond  the  tears, 
Beyond  the  heartache  and  clouded 
brow. 

Love  knows  no  grave,  and  it  shall  guide 
us,  dear, 

When  life's  spent  candles  flutter,  and 
burn  low." 

World  Knowledge  of  Eternal 
Marriage  and  Family 

One  other  thought  along  that  line. 
I  preached  a  sermon  on  this  subject 
in  the  mission  field,  and  I  quoted  from 
all  the  major  churches  from  their  offi- 
cial statements  to  the  effect  that  not 
one  of  them  believed  in  the  eternal 
duration  of  the  marriage  covenant  and 
the  family  unit.  At  the  close  of  the 
meeting  I  stood  at  the  door  to  greet 
the  people,  and  a  man  came  up  and 
introduced  himself  as  a  Baptist  minis- 
ter, and  I  said,  "Did  I  misquote  you?" 

"No,"  he  said,  "Mr.  Richards,  but 
it's  just  as  you  say,  we  don't  believe 
all  the  things  our  churches  teach." 

I  said,  "You  don't  believe  them 
either.  Why  don't  you  go  back  and 
teach  your  people  the  truth.  They  will 
take  it  from  you,  and  they  are  not 


120 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

ready  to  take  it  from  the  Mormon 
elders  yet." 

He  said,  "I'll  see  you  again."  That  is 
all  I  could  get  out  of  him  that  day. 

The  next  time  I  went  there,  my  com- 
ing was  announced  because  I  was  the 
mission  president.  As  I  walked  up  to 
that  little  church,  there  stood  that 
minister.  As  we  shook  hands,  I  said, 
"I  would  certainly  be  interested  to 
know  what  you  thought  of  my  last 
sermon." 

He  said,  "Mr.  Richards,  I  have  been 
thinking  about  it  ever  since,  and  I 
believe  every  word  you  said,  but  I 
would  have  liked  to  hear  the  rest  of  it." 

Brothers  and  sisters,  I  thank  God 
that  we  have  the  voice  of  living 
prophets  to  show  us  the  way  and  that 
we  don't  have  to  depend  on  the  written 
word  only.  Wasn't  that  what  Jesus 
meant  when  he  stood  overlooking 
Jerusalem  and  said,  "O  Jerusalem, 
Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  proph- 
ets, and  stonest  them  which  are  sent 
unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have 
gathered  thy  children  together,  even 
as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under 
her  wings,  and  ye  would  notl 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

"Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you 
desolate. 

"For  I  say  unto  you,  ye  shall  not  see 
me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall  say, 
Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord."  (Matt.  23:37-39.) 

So  we  invite  all  men  everywhere  to 
be  willing  to  listen  to  the  living  proph- 
ets that  God  has  raised  up  in  this 
dispensation  so  that  they  can  be  taught 
correct  principles  and  not  be  tossed  to 
and  fro  with  every  wind  of  doctrine, 
as  we  read  in  the  scriptures  (see  Eph. 
4:14);  and  may  God  help  us  as  a 
people  so  to  live  that  we  may  be 
worthy  of  the  blessings  he  has  in  store 
for  us  and  be  a  light  unto  the  world, 
I  pray  and  ask  God  to  bless  you  all  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

Singing  by  the  Logan  Institute 
Choir,  "Let  The  Mountains  Shout  For 

Joy." 

Elder  Karl  R.  Lyman,  formerly  Pres- 
ident of  the  Florida  Mission,  offered 
the  closing  prayer. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2:00 
p.  m. 


THIRD  DAY 
AFTERNOON  MEETING 


The  concluding  session  of  the  Con- 
ference convened  at  2:00  p.m.,  Tues- 
day, April  6th. 

President  David  O.  McKay  was 
present  and  presided.  At  President 
McKay's  request  President  Hugh  B. 
Brown,  First  Counselor  in  the  First 
Presidency,  conducted  the  services  of 
the  session. 

The  Logan  L.  D.  S.  Institute  of 
Religion  Choir,  with  James  Bradley, 
Conductor,  furnished  the  choral  music 
for  this  session.  Elder  Alexander 
Schreiner  was  at  the  organ. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Members  of  the  Church  are  convened 
in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square 
in  Salt  Lake  City  in  the  seventh  and 
concluding  session  of  the  135th  annual 
conference  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.    I  am 


pleased  to  announce  for  the  benefit  of 
the  television  and  radio  audience  that 
President  David  O.  McKay  is  sitting 
on  the  stand,  and  although  he  is  not 
able  to  participate  as  actively  as  here- 
tofore he  is  present  and  his  presence 
gives  all  of  us  courage  and  inspiration 
to  have  him  here.  He  is  presiding  at 
this  conference  and  has  asked  me  if  I 
would  conduct. 

Many  television  and  radio  stations 
throughout  the  western  part  of  the 
United  States  will  carry  the  pro- 
ceedings of  this  concluding  session  of 
the  conference.  The  proceedings  of 
both  sessions  today  will  be  rebroadcast 
to  far  distant  places  by  radio  station 
KSL  Wednesday,  April  7th,  from  1:00 
to  5:00  a.m. 

We  extend  a  cordial  welcome  to  all 
present  this  afternoon,  special  guests, 
educational  leaders,  our  stake  presi- 
dencies from  near  and  far,  temple 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 


121 


presidencies,  bishoprics,  members  of 
General  Auxiliary  boards,  and  mem- 
bers of  the  Church,  and  friends  every- 
where who  may  be  listening  by  radio 
and  television. 

The  music  for  this  session  will  be 
rendered  by  the  Logan  Institute  of  Re- 
ligion Choir  with  James  L.  Bradley 
conducting;  Alexander  Schreiner  is  at 
the  organ. 

We  shall  begin  this  service  by  the 
choir  singing,  "Open  Our  Eyes."  The 
invocation  will  be  offered  by  Elder 
Roy  William  Oscarson,  president  of 
St.  Louis  Stake. 

The  Choir  sang  "Open  Our  Eyes." 

President  Roy  W.  Oscarson,  Presi- 
dent of  the  St.  Louis  Stake,  offered  the 
invocation. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

The  members  of  the  choir  of  the 
Logan  Institute  of  Religion  have  ex- 


pressed a  desire  to  sing  the  following 
song  as  a  tribute  to  our  prophet,  Presi- 
dent David  O.  McKay.  The  words  of 
this  song  were  written  by  President 
McKay,  and  the  music  arranged  by 
Alexander  Schreiner.  It  is  titled,  "The 
Gospel  is  Truly  the  Power  of  God  Unto 
Salvation."  It  will  be  conducted  by 
James  L.  Bradley. 

Singing  by  the  Choir,  "The  Gospel 
is  Truly  the  Power  of  God  Unto  Salva- 
tion." 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  the  Twelve  and  president  of  the 
European  Mission  will  be  our  first 
speaker  this  afternoon.  He  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson,  Assistant 
to  the  Twelve. 

Elder  Benson. 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


In  1831  the  Lord  said  this  to  his 
Church: 

"For  behold,  it  is  not  meet  that  I 
should  command  in  all  things;  for  he 
that  is  compelled  in  all  things,  the 
same  is  a  slothful  and  not  a  wise  ser- 
vant; wherefore  he  receiveth  no  re- 
ward. 

"Verily  I  say,  men  should  be 
anxiously  engaged  in  a  good  cause, 
and  do  many  things  of  their  own  free 
will,  and  bring  to  pass  much  righteous- 
ness; 

"For  the  power  is  in  them,  wherein 
they  are  agents  unto  themselves.  And 
inasmuch  as  men  do  good  they  shall  in 
nowise  lose  their  reward. 

"But  he  that  doeth  not  anything 
until  he  is  commanded,  and  receiveth 
a  commandment  with  doubtful  heart, 
and  keepeth  it  with  slothfuiness,  the 
same  is  damned."  (D&C  58:26-29.) 

The  purposes  of  the  Lord — the  great 
objectives — continue  the  same:  the  sal- 
vation and  exaltation  of  his  children. 

Objectives  and  Guide  Lines 

Usually  the  Lord  gives  us  the  overall 
objectives  to  be  accomplished  and 


some  guidelines  to  follow,  but  he  ex- 
pects us  to  work  out  most  of  the  details 
and  methods.  The  methods  and  pro- 
cedures are  usually  developed  through 
study  and  prayer  and  by  living  so  that 
we  can  obtain  and  follow  the  prompt- 
ings of  the  Spirit.  Less  spiritually  ad- 
vanced people,  such  as  those  in  the 
days  of  Moses,  had  to  be  commanded 
in  many  things.  Today  those  spiritually 
alert  look  at  the  objectives,  check  the 
guidelines  laid  down  by  the  Lord  and 
his  prophets,  and  then  prayerfully  act 
— without  having  to  be  commanded 
"in  all  things."  This  attitude  prepares 
men  for  godhood. 

The  overall  objective  to  be  accom- 
plished in  missionary  work,  temple 
work,  providing  for  the  needy,  and 
bringing  up  our  children  in  righteous- 
ness has  always  been  the  same;  only 
our  methods  to  accomplish  these  ob- 
jectives have  varied.  Any  faithful  mem- 
ber in  this  dispensation,  no  matter 
when  he  lived,  could  have  found  righ- 
teous methods  to  have  carried  out  these 
objectives  without  having  to  wait  for 
the  latest,  specific  church-wide  pro- 
gram- 


122 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Tuesday,  April  S,  1965 

His  Children  To  Act  on  Their  Own 
Initiative  and  Responsibility 

Sometimes  the  Lord  hopefully  waits 
on  his  children  to  act  on  their  own, 
and  when  they  do  not,  they  lose  the 
greater  prize,  and  the  Lord  will  either 
drop  the  entire  matter  and  let  them 
suffer  the  consequences  or  else  he  will 
have  to  spell  it  out  in  greater  detail. 
Usually,  I  fear,  the  more  he  has  to 
spell  it  out,  the  smaller  is  our  reward. 

Often,  because  of  circumstances,  the 
Lord,  through  revelation  to  his  proph- 
ets or  through  inspired  programs  de- 
signed by  faithful  members  which  later 
become  adopted  on  a  church-wide 
basis,  will  give  to  all  the  membership 
a  righteous  means  to  help  accomplish 
the  objective;  for  instance,  any  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  a  century  ago  who 
studied  church  doctrine  would  have 
known  that  he  had  the  prime  responsi- 
bility to  see  that  his  children  had 
spiritualized  family  recreation  and 
were  taught  in  the  home  lessons  in 
character  building  and  gospel  prin- 
ciples. But  some  did  not  do  it. 

The  Home  Evening 

Then,  in  1915  President  Joseph  F. 
Smith  introduced,  church-wide,  the 
"weekly  home  evening  program"  with 
promised  blessings  to  all  who  faithfully 
adopted  it.  Many  refused  and  lost  the 
promised  blessings.  (At  the  October 
conference,  1947,  I  referred  to  that 
promise  in  a  talk  on  the  Family 
Home  Evening.)  Today  we  have  the 
home  evening  manual  and  other  helps. 
Yet  some  still  refuse  to  bring  up  their 
children  in  righteousness. 

But  there  are  some  today  who  com- 
plain that  the  home  evening  manual 
should  have  been  issued  years  ago.  If 
this  is  true  then  the  Lord  will  hold 
his  servants  accountable;  but  no  one 
can  say  that  from  the  inception  of  the 
Church  up  to  the  present  day  the  Lord 
through  his  Spirit  to  the  individual 
members  and  through  his  spokesmen, 
the  prophets,  has  not  given  us  the  ob- 
jectives and  plenty  of  guidelines  and 
counsel.  The  fact  that  some  of  us  have 
not  done  much  about  it  even  when  it 
is  spelled  out  in  detail  is  not  the  Lord's 
fault. 


Third  Day 

For  years  we  have  been  counseled  to 
have  on  hand  a  year's  supply  of  food. 
Yet  there  are  some  today  who  will 
not  start  storing  until  the  Church 
comes  out  with  a  detailed  monthly 
home  storage  program.  Now  suppose 
that  never  happens.  We  still  cannot 
say  we  have  not  been  told. 

Should  the  Lord  decide  at  this  time 
to  cleanse  the  Church — and  the  need 
for  that  cleansing  seems  to  be  increas- 
ing— a  famine  in  this  land  of  one  year's 
duration  could  wipe  out  a  large  per- 
centage of  slothful  members,  including 
some  ward  and  stake  officers.  Yet  we 
cannot  say  we  have  not  been  warned. 

Another  warning:  You  and  I  sustain 
one  man  on  this  earth  as  God's  mouth- 
piece— President  David  O.  McKay — 
one  of  the  greatest  seers  who  has  ever 
walked  this  earth.  We  do  not  need  a 
prophet — we  have  one — what  we  des- 
perately need  is  a  listening  ear. 

Warnings  of  Threats  to  Freedom 

Should  it  be  of  concern  to  us  when 
the  mouthpiece  of  the  Lord  keeps  con- 
stantly and  consistently  raising  his 
voice  of  warning  about  the  loss  of  our 
freedom  as  he  has  over  the  years? 
There  are  two  unrighteous  ways  to 
deal  with  his  prophetic  words  of  warn- 
ing: you  can  fight  them  or  you  can 
ignore  them.  Either  course  will  bring 
you  disaster  in  the  long  run. 

Hear  his  words:  "No  greater  im- 
mediate responsibility  rests  upon  mem- 
bers of  the  Church,  upon  all  citizens 
of  this  Republic  and  of  neighboring 
Republics  than  to  protect  the  freedom 
vouchsafed  by  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States."  (Cited  in  Jerreld  L. 
Newquist,  Prophets,  Principles  and 
National  Survival  [SLC:  Publishers 
Press,  1964],  p.  157.)  As  important 
as  are  all  other  principles  of  the  gos- 
pel, it  was  the  freedom  issue  which  de- 
termined whether  you  received  a  body. 
To  have  been  on  the  wrong  side  of  the 
freedom  issue  during  the  war  in  heaven 
meant  eternal  damnation.  How  then 
can  Latter-day  Saints  expect  to  be  on 
the  wrong  side  in  this  life  and  escape 
the  eternal  consequences?  The  war  in 
heaven  is  raging  on  earth  today.  The 
issues  are  the  same:  "Shall  men  be 
compelled  to  do  what  others  claim  is 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 


123 


for  their  best  welfare"  or  will  they 
heed  the  counsel  of  the  prophet  and 
preserve  their  freedom? 

Satan  argued  that  men  given  their 
freedom  would  not  choose  correctly, 
therefore  he  would  compel  them  to  do 
right  and  save  us  all.  Today  Satan 
argues  that  men  given  their  freedom  do 
not  choose  wisely;  therefore  a  so-called 
brilliant,  benevolent  few  must  establish 
the  welfare  government  and  force  us 
into  a  greater  socialistic  society.  We  are 
assured  of  being  led  into  the  promised 
land  as  long  as  we  let  them  put  a 
golden  ring  in  our  nose.  In  the  end  we 
lose  our  freedom  and  the  promised 
land  also.  No  matter  what  you  call  it 
— communism,  socialism,  or  the  wel- 
fare state — our  freedom  is  sacrificed. 
We  believe  the  gospel  is  the  greatest 
thing  in  the  world;  why  then  do  we 
not  force  people  to  join  the  Church  if 
they  are  not  smart  enough  to  see  it  on 
their  own?  Because  this  is  Satan's  way, 
not  the  Lord's  plan.  The  Lord  uses  per- 
suasion and  love. 

Hear  again  the  words  of  God's 
mouthpiece:  "Today  two  mighty  forces 
are  battling  for  the  supremacy  of  the 
world.  The  destiny  of  mankind  is  in 
the  balance.  It  is  a  question  of  God 
and  liberty,  or  atheism  and  slavery.  .  .  . 

"Those  forces  are  known  and  have 
been  designated  by  Satan  on  the  one 
hand,  and  Christ  on  the  other. 

"In  Joshua's  time  they  were  called 
'gods  of  the  Amorites,'  for  one,  and 
'the  Lord'  on  the  other.  ...  In  these 
days,  they  are  called  'domination  hy 
the  state,'  on  one  hand,  'personal  lib- 
erty,' on  the  other;  communism  on 
one,  free  agency  on  the  other."  (Ibid., 
pp.  215-216.) 

Now,  the  Lord  knew  that  before  the 
gospel  could  flourish  there  must  first 
be  an  atmosphere  of  freedom.  This  is 
why  he  first  established  the  Consti- 
tution of  this  land  through  gentiles 
whom  he  raised  up  before  he  restored 
the  gospel.  In  how  many  communist 
countries  today  are  we  doing  mission- 
ary work,  building  chapels,  etc.?  And 
yet  practically  every  one  of  those  coun- 
tries have  been  pushed  into  commu- 
nism and  kept  under  communism  with 
the  great  assistance  of  evil  forces  which 
have  and  are  operating  within  our 
own  country  and  neighboring  lands. 


Yes,  were  it  not  for  the  tragic  policies 
of  governments — including  our  own — 
tens  of  millions  of  people  murdered 
and  hundreds  of  millions  enslaved 
since  World  War  II  would  be  alive 
and  free  today  to  receive  the  restored 
gospel. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.,  put 
it  clearly  and  courageously  when  he 
said: 

"Reduced  to  its  lowest  terms,  the 
great  struggle  which  now  rocks  the 
whole  earth  more  and  more  takes  on 
the  character  of  a  struggle  of  the  indi- 
vidual versus  the  state.  .  .  . 

"This  gigantic  world-wide  straggle, 
more  and  more  takes  on  the  form  of  a 
war  to  the  death.  We  shall  do  well 
and  wisely  so  to  face  and  so  to  enter  it. 
And  we  must  all  take  part.  Indeed,  we 
all  are  taking  part  in  that  straggle, 
whether  we  will  or  not.  Upon  its  final 
issue,  liberty  lives  or  dies.  .  .  .  The 
plain  and  simple  issue  now  facing  us 
in  America  is  freedom  or  slavery.  .  .  . 
We  have  largely  lost  the  conflict  so  far 
waged.  But  there  is  time  to  win  the 
final  victory,  if  we  sense  our  danger, 
and  fight."  (Ibid.,  pp.  318,  327-328.) 

Now  where  do  we  stand  in  this 
struggle,  and  what  are  we  doing  about 
it? 

The  devil  knows  that  if  the  elders  of 
Israel  should  ever  wake  up,  they  could 
step  forth  and  help  preserve  freedom 
and  extend  the  gospel.  Therefore  the 
devil  has  concentrated,  and  to  a  large 
extent  successfully,  in  neutralizing 
much  of  the  priesthood.  He  has  re- 
duced them  to  sleeping  giants.  His 
arguments  are  clever. 

Here  are  a  few  samples: 

First:  "We  really  haven't  received 
much  instruction  about  freedom,"  the 
devil  says.  This  is  a  lie,  for  we  have 
been  warned  time  and  again.  No 
prophet  of  the  Lord  has  ever  issued 
more  solemn  warning  than  President 
David  O.  McKay.  Last  conference  I 
spoke  of  a  book  embodying  much  of 
the  prophets'  warnings  on  freedom 
from  Joseph  Smith  to  David  O.  McKay 
which  I  commend  to  you.  It  is  entitled 
Prophets,  Principles,  and  National  Sur- 
vival. 

Second:  "You're  too  involved  in  other 
church  work,"  says  the  devil.  But  free- 
dom is  a  weighty  matter  of  the  law; 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


124 

Tuesday,  April  5,  W65 

the  lesser  principles  of  the  gospel  you 
should  keep  but  not  leave  this  one 
undone.  We  may  have  to  balance  and 
manage  our  time  better.  Your  other 
church  work  will  be  limited  once  you 
lose  your  freedom  as  our  Saints  have 
found  out  in  Czechoslovakia,  Poland, 
and  many  other  nations. 

Third:  "You  want  to  be  loved  by 
everyone,"  says  the  devil,  "and  this 
freedom  battle  is  so  controversial  you 
might  be  accused  of  engaging  in  poli- 
tics." Of  course  the  government  has 
penetrated  so  much  of  our  lives  that 
one  can  hardly  speak  for  freedom  with- 
out being  accused  of  being  political. 
Some  might  even  call  the  war  in 
heaven  a  political  struggle — certainly 
it  was  controversial.  Yet  the  valiant 
entered  it  with  Michael.  Those  who 
support  only  the  popular  principles  of 
the  gospel  have  their  reward.  And  those 
who  want  to  lead  the  quiet,  retiring 
life  but  still  expect  to  do  their  full 
duty  can't  have  it  both  ways. 

Said  Elder  John  A.  Widtsoe: 

"The  troubles  of  the  world  may 
largely  be  laid  at  the  doors  of  those 
who  are  neither  hot  nor  cold;  who  al- 
ways follow  the  line  of  least  resis- 
tance; whose  timid  hearts  flutter  at 
taking  sides  for  truth.  As  in  the  great 
Council  in  the  heavens,  so  in  the 
Church  of  Christ  on  earth,  there  can 
be  no  neutrality."  (Ibid.,  p.  440.) 

Fourth:  "Wait  until  it  becomes 
nopular  to  do,"  says  the  devil,  "or,  at 
least  until  everybody  in  tbe  Church 
agrees  on  what  should  be  done."  But 
this  fight  for  freedom  might  never  he- 
come  popular  in  our  day.  And  if  you 
wait  until  everybody  agrees  in  this 
Church,  you  will  be  waiting  through 
the  second  coming  of  the  I,ord.  Would 
you  have  hesitated  to  follow  the  in- 
spired counsel  of  the  Prophet  Toseph 
Smith  simply  because  some  weak  men 
disagreed  with  him?  God's  living 
mouthpiece  has  spoken  to  us — are  we 
for  him  or  against  him?  In  spite  of 
the  Prophet's  opposition  to  increased 
federal  aid  and  compulsory  unionism, 
some  church  members  still  champion 
these  freedom  destroying  programs. 
Where  do  you  stand? 

Fifth:  "It  might  hurt  your  business 
or  your  family,"  says  the  devil,  "and 
besides  why  not  let  the  gentiles  save 


Third  Day 

the  country?  They  aren't  as  busy  as  you 
are."  Well,  there  were  many  business- 
men who  went  along  with  Hitler 
because  it  supposedly  helped  their 
business.  They  lost  everything.  Many 
of  us  are  here  today  because  our  fore- 
fathers loved  truth  enough  that  they 
fought  at  Valley  Forge  or  crossed  the 
plains  in  spite  of  the  price  it  cost  them 
or  their  families.  We  had  better  take 
our  small  pain  now  than  our  greater 
loss  later.  There  were  souls  who 
wished  afterwards  that  they  had  stood 
and  fought  with  Washington  and  the 
founding  fathers,  but  they  waited  too 
long — they  passed  up  eternal  glory. 
There  has  never  been  a  greater  time 
than  now  to  stand  up  against  en- 
trenched evil.  And  while  the  gentiles 
established  the  Constitution,  we  have 
a  divine  mandate  to  preserve  it.  But 
unfortunately  today  in  this  freedom 
struggle,  many  gentiles  are  showing 
greater  wisdom  in  their  generation 
than  the  children  of  light. 

Sixth:  "Don't  worry,"  says  the  devil, 
"the  Lord  will  protect  you,  and  besides 
the  world  is  so  corrupt  and  heading 
toward  destruction  at  such  a  pace  that 
you  can't  stop  it,  so  why  try."  Well, 
to  begin  with,  the  Lord  will  not  protect 
us  unless  we  do  our  part.  This  devilish 
tactic  of  persuading  people  not  to  get 
concerned  because  the  Lord  will  pro- 
tect them  no  matter  what  they  do  is 
exposed  by  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Re- 
ferring to  the  devil,  it  savs,  "And  oth- 
ers will  he  pacify,  and  lull  them  away 
into  carnal  security,  and  they  will  say: 
All  is  well  in  Zion;  yea.  Zion  prosper- 
eth,  all  is  well — and  thus  the  devil 
cheateth  their  souls,  and  leadetb  them 
awav  carefully  down  to  hell."  (2  Ne- 
phi  28:21.) 

I  like  that  word  "carefully."  In  other 
words,  don't  shake  them,  you  might 
awake  them.  But  the  Book  of  Mormon 
warns  us  that  when  we  should  see 
these  murderous  conspiracies  in  our 
midst  that  we  should  awake  to  our 
awful  situation.  Now  why  should  we 
awake  if  the  Lord  is  going  to  take  care 
of  us  anyway?  Now  let  us  sunpose  that 
it  is  too  late  to  save  freedom.  It  is 
still  acr-ounted  unto  us  for  righteous- 
ness' sakp  to  stand  up  and  fight.  Some 
Book  of  Mormon  prophets  knew  of  the 
final  desolate  end  of  their  nations,  but 


ELDER  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON 


125 


they  still  fought  on,  and  they  saved 
some  souls  including  their  own  by  so 
doing.  For,  after  all,  the  purpose  of 
life  is  to  prove  ourselves,  and  the  final 
victory  will  be  for  freedom. 

But  many  of  the  prophecies  referring 
to  America's  preservation  are  condi- 
tional. That  is,  if  we  do  our  duty  we 
can  be  preserved,  and  if  not  then  we 
shall  be  destroyed.  This  means  that  a 
good  deal  of  the  responsibility  lies 
with  the  priesthood  of  this  Church  as 
to  what  happens  to  America  and  as  to 
how  much  tragedy  can  be  avoided  if  we 
do  act  now. 

And  now  as  to  the  last  neutralizer 
that  the  devil  uses  most  effectively — 
it  is  simply  this:  "Don't  do  anything 
in  the  fight  for  freedom  until  the 
Church  sets  up  its  own  specific  pro- 
gram to  save  the  Constitution."  This 
brings  us  right  back  to  the  scripture  I 
opened  with  today — to  those  slothful 
servants  who  will  not  do  anything 
until  they  are  "compelled  in  all 
things."  Maybe  the  Lord  will  never  set 
up  a  specific  church  program  for  the 
purpose  of  saving  the  Constitution. 
Perhaps  if  he  set  one  up  at  this  time 
it  might  split  the  Church  asunder,  and 
perhaps  he  does  not  want  that  to  hap- 
pen yet  for  not  all  the  wheat  and  tares 
are  fully  ripe. 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  declared 
it  will  be  the  elders  of  Israel  who  will 
step  forward  to  help  save  the  Consti- 
tution, not  the  Church.  And  have  we 
elders  been  warned?  Yes,  we  have.  And 
have  we  elders  been  given  the  guide- 
lines? Yes  indeed,  we  have.  And 
besides,  if  the  Church  should  ever  in- 
augurate a  program,  who  do  you  think 
would  be  in  the  forefront  to  get  it 
moving?  It  would  not  be  those  who 
were  sitting  on  the  sidelines  prior  to 
that  time  or  those  who  were  appeasing 
the  enemy.  It  would  be  those  choice 
spirits  who,  not  waiting  to  be  "com- 
manded in  all  things,"  used  their  own 
free  will,  the  counsel  of  the  prophets, 
and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  as  guidelines 


and  who  entered  the  battle  "in  a  good 
cause"  and  brought  to  pass  much 
righteousness  in  freedom's  cause. 

Years  ago  Elder  Joseph  F.  Merrill 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  en- 
couraged the  members  of  the  Church  to 
join  right-to-work  leagues  and  Presi- 
dent Heber  J.  Grant  concurred.  For 
our  day  President  David  O.  McKay  has 
called  communism  the  greatest  threat 
to  the  Church,  and  it  is  certainly  the 
greatest  mortal  threat  this  country  has 
ever  faced.  What  are  you  doing  to  fight 
it? 

"The  War  in  Heaven"  Is  Raging  on 
Earth  Today 

Brethren,  if  we  had  done  our  home- 
work and  were  faithful,  we  could  step 
forward  at  this  time  and  help  save  this 
country.  The  fact  that  most  of  us  are 
unprepared  to  do  it  is  an  indictment 
we  will  have  to  bear.  The  longer  we 
wait,  the  heavier  the  chains,  the  deeper 
the  blood,  the  more  the  persecution, 
and  the  less  we  can  carry  out  our  God- 
given  mandate  and  world-wide  mis- 
sion. The  war  in  heaven  is  raging  on 
earth  today.  Are  you  being  neutralized 
in  the  battle? 

"Verily  I  say,  men  should  be 
anxiously  engaged  in  a  good  cause, 
and  do  many  things  of  their  own  free 
will,  and  bring  to  pass  much  righteous- 
ness; 

"For  the  power  is  in  them,  wherein 
they  are  agents  unto  themselves.  .  .  ." 
(D&C  58:27-28.) 

In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

He  to  whom  we  have  just  listened  is 
Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve.  Elder  Thorpe  B.  Isaac- 
son, Assistant  to  the  Twelve,  will  be 
our  next  speaker.  He  will  be  followed 
by  Elder  John  Longden,  Assistant  to 
the  Twelve. 


126 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 


ELDER  THORPE  B.  ISAACSON 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


President  McKay,  President  Brown, 
President  Tanner,  President  Smith,  and 
my  dear  brothers  and  sisters.  One 
always  feels  dependent  upon  the  Lord 
in  occupying  this  position.  Therefore, 
I  humbly  pray  that  I  may  have  the 
sustaining  influence  of  our  Heavenly 
Father,  as  I  need  it  greatly.  Today  as 
we  have  listened  to  this  marvelous 
chorus  from  the  fine  institute  of  re- 
ligion in  Logan  and  the  great  Utah 
State  University  at  Logan,  I  am  sure 
we  are  very  thrilled  at  the  selections 
they  have  sung  to  us  and  the  manner 
in  which  they  were  sung. 

I  would  be  very  ungrateful  if  I  did 
not  publicly  thank  the  Lord  for  the 
blessings  of  these  three  days.  We  have 
been  here  assembled  in  this  very 
sacred  building,  and  it  is  sacred,  to 
listen  to  the  sermons  of  the  servants 
and  the  prophets  of  God. 

President  McKay  the  other  day  in 
the  temple  told  us  that  we  could  rely 
upon  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord.  That  I  would  like  to  do. 

The  Influence  of  President  McKay 

During  these  three  days  we  have 
listened  to  the  prophets  and  the  ser- 
vants of  God.  These  brethren  have 
spoken  to  us  under  the  inspiration  of 
the  Lord.  Now  it  is  up  to  us  as  a  people 
in  and  out  of  the  Church  what  we  are 
going  to  do  about  it.  For  it  is  the 
Lord's  word  that  has  been  given  to  us 
through  his  servants.  Certainly  our 
testimony  and  our  faith  must  have 
been  strengthened  the  last  three  days. 
President  McKay's  appearance  here 
early  Sunday  morning — the  opening 
session — again  yesterday  morning,  last 
night  in  priesthood  meeting,  and  now 
his  presence  here  today  is  a  great 
blessing  to  us.  If  I  may  I  would  like  to 
carry  that  a  little  further.  His  presence 
here  today  is  largely  because  of  his 
great  faith,  his  will,  his  courage,  his 
determination,  and  an  answer  to  your 
and  my  prayers.  For  surely  the  people 
of  this  Church  are  praying  for  the 
prophet  daily.  His  presence  here  is  a 
miracle.   The   Lord   gave   him  the 


strength  to  be  here.  It  was  not  his  own 
physical  strength,  but  the  blessings 
and  the  power  of  the  Lord  to  him,  and 
in  turn  a  blessing  to  us.  He  has  taught 
us  so  many  wonderful  lessons.  Thou- 
sands and  hundreds  of  thousands,  yes, 
millions,  of  people  on  the  earth  are 
grateful  to  him  because  he  has  literally 
touched  their  lives,  and  I,  as  the  most 
humble  among  you,  thank  God  for  the 
blessing  that  he  has  been  to  me.  Men 
who  hardly  know  him,  men  not  of  the 
Church,  after  they  have  been  in  his 
presence,  I  have  heard  them  say,  "We 
felt  an  unusual  influence."  Well,  it  is 
understandable  to  us  that  they  would 
feel  an  unusual  influence  because  they 
were  in  the  presence  of  a  prophet  of 
God. 

Now,  just  two  thoughts,  because  they 
taught  me  a  lesson  I  might  pass  on  to 
someone. 

Two  Stories 

One  is  about  a  young  man  whom  I 
had  the  chance  to  know  and  interview 
for  his  mission,  and  I  had  the  privilege 
of  setting  him  apart.  I  like  to  write  to 
missionaries.  I  like  to  get  their  letters. 
I  am  sure  I  get  more  strength  from 
their  letters  than  they  do  from  mine. 
This  choice  boy  was  sent  to  Australia. 
Some  weeks  ago  he  sent  me  a  letter, 
and  in  that  letter  there  were  a  number 
of  large  bills,  greenbacks,  currency.  I 
thought  he  took  a  chance  sending  it 
that  way,  but  it  was  wrapped  well. 
There  were  also  enclosed  an  envelope 
addressed  to  another  elder  and  a  note 
to  this  elder.  The  missionary  in  his 
letter  to  me  said,  "Will  you  put  this 
money  and  this  memorandum  in  the 
enclosed  envelope,  put  a  stamp  on  it, 
and  mail  it  to  this  elder?"  The  letter 
to  the  missionary  to  whom  the  money 
was  to  be  sent  said  about  these  words: 
"Enclosed  is  some  money  that  I  want 
you  to  have  so  that  you  can  stay  and 
finish  your  mission.  Unsigned."  His 
missionary  companion's  folks  were 
having  some  financial  difficulties.  This 
boy  had  been  saving  a  little  money  out 
of  his  missionary  allowance,  and  he 


ELDER  JOHN  LONGDEN 


127 


sent  that  to  me  to  put  in  an  enve- 
lope to  send  back  to  his  companion, 
and  he  did  not  want  him  to  know 
whence  it  came.  Oh,  what  a  lesson! 

Saturday,  another  lesson.  I  picked  up 
a  little  granddaughter,  a  beautiful  little 
girl.  I  asked  her  to  come  home  with 
me  to  lunch.  I  told  her  we  would  have 
to  hurry  because  I  had  an  appointment. 
I  told  her  mother  I  would  bring  her 
back  after  lunch.  As  we  were  preparing 
to  eat  lunch,  she  was  talking  and  visit- 
ing. She  is  a  wonderful  little  girl,  only 
ten  years  old,  one  of  the  choicest  spirits 
I  have  ever  known.  She  has  suffered 
many  illnesses,  serious  operations,  but 
she  is  well  now,  thanks  to  the  blessings 
of  the  Lord.  As  we  were  eating,  I  was 
hurrying  her,  and  she  said,  "Grandpa, 
why  are  you  always  in  such  a  hurry?" 
(Well,  I  didn't  know  she  knew  that.) 
Then  she  looked  at  me  so  sweetly  and 
innocently  and  said,  "Do  you  have 
problems  and  worries?"  "No,  not  me," 
I  answered.  "I  have  an  appointment, 
but  not  necessarily  worries  or  prob- 
lems." Then  she  answered  me  and  said, 
"I'm  glad  I  don't  have  any  worries  or 
any  problems.  I  love  everybody."  I 
wondered  if  she  thought  I  didn't. 

Perhaps,  this  is  the  source  of  some  of 
our  troubles.  This  may  be  the  source  of 
some  of  our  worries  and  some  of  our 
problems.  Do  we  love  everybody? 

Prophets  in  Our  Midst 

I  want  to  bear  my  testimony  to  you 
that  I  know  that  the  Lord  is  our  Father 
and  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Savior  of 
the  world,  the  Son  of  God.  I  would  like 
to  ask  you:  How  would  you  feel  if 
someone  should  tell  you  that  the 
Prophet  Abraham  is  in  your  midst? 
How  would  you  feel  if  they  should  say 


that  the  Prophet  Moses  or  Samuel  or 
Isaiah  is  here  in  your  midst?  And  what 
would  you  think  if  someone  should 
say  to  you  that  the  Apostle  Paul  or 
Peter  or  James  or  John  is  here?  Well, 
there  are  prophets  and  Apostles  here  in 
your  midst,  and  you  are  looking  at 
them  today.  They  are  the  prophets  and 
Apostles  with  the  same  authority  as  the 
Apostles  of  old.  You  have  been  listen- 
ing to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  for  those 
who  have  spoken  to  you  are  of  the 
Lord.  Can  you  imagine  what  the  Lord 
meant  when  he  said,  "What  I  the  Lord 
have  spoken,  I  have  spoken,  and  I 
excuse  not  myself;  and  though  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  pass  away,  my 
word  shall  not  pass  away,  but  shall  all 
be  fulfilled,  whether  by  mine  own 
voice  or  by  the  voice  of  my  servants, 
it  is  the  same"?  (D&C  1:38.  Italics 
added.) 

That  means  that  the  words  you  have 
heard  today,  yesterday,  and  the  day 
before,  and  that  you  hear  from  time  to 
time  from  the  prophets  and  the 
Apostles  are  the  same  as  if  the  Lord 
were  speaking  to  you.  We  who  are 
privileged  to  work  closely  with  these 
great  men  constantly  see  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  Lord  flowing  to  them  back 
to  you  and  to  me. 

God  grant  that  we  may  have  the 
strength  and  the  faith  to  purge  our 
souls  of  all  those  things  that  are  not  of 
the  Lord,  I  humbly  pray  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson,  Assistant 
to  the  Twelve,  has  just  spoken  to  us. 
Elder  John  Longden,  also  Assistant  to 
the  Twelve,  will  now  address  us.  He 
will  be  followed  by  Elder  Bernard  P. 
Brockbank,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve. 


ELDER  JOHN  LONGDEN 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


My  brothers,  sisters,  and  friends  assem- 
bled here  in  this  historic  building, 
and  those  of  you  who  are  sometimes 
termed  the  "unseen  audience,"  may  I 
express  my  gratitude  for  your  taking 
time  to  see  and  listen  in  to  the  pro- 


ceedings of  these  great  conference 
sessions.  I  would  like  to  take  this 
opportunity,  too,  to  say  hello  to  my 
sweetheart  who  is  listening  today,  and 
I  feel  her  spirit. 
May  I  repeat  the  words  of  President 


128  GENERAL  C 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

McKay  at  the  opening  of  this  confer- 
ence read  by  his  son  Robert,  found  in 
2  Timothy,  the  fourth  chapter: 

"Preach  the  Word" 

"I  charge  thee  therefore  before  God, 
and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  .  .  .  [to] 
preach  the  word; .  .  ."  (Vs.  1-2.) 

That  is  what  I  have  in  mind  at  this 
time,  if  the  Lord  will  bless  me. 

"We  believe  that  the  first  principles 
and  ordinances  of  the  Gospel  are:  first, 
Faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  second, 
Repentance;  third,  Baptism  by  im- 
mersion for  the  remission  of  sins; 
fourth,  Laying  on  of  hands  for  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  (Fourth 
article  of  faith.) 

Jesus  Commissioned  The  Disciples 

May  I  take  you  back  in  your  mind's 
eye  to  almost  2,000  years  ago,  after 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  when  he  had 
commissioned  his  disciples,  which 
means  he  had  given  them  the  authority 
to  go  forth  and  teach. 

The  day  to  which  I  refer  is  known 
as  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Many  were 
assembled,  and  Peter  was  the  mouth- 
piece on  this  occasion.  He  taught: 

"We  all  are  witnesses" 

"This  Jesus  hath  God  raised  up, 
whereof  we  all  are  witnesses. 

"Therefore  being  by  the  right  hand 
of  God  exalted,  and  having  received 
of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  he  hath  shed  forth  this,  which 
ye  now  see  and  hear.  .  .  . 

"Therefore  let  all  the  house  of  Israel 
know  assuredly,  that  God  hath  made 
that  same  Jesus,  whom  ye  have  cruci- 
fied, both  Lord  and  Christ. 

"Now  when  they  heard  this,  they 
were  pricked  in  their  heart,  and  said 
unto  Peter  and  to  the  rest  of  the 
apostles,  Men  and  brethren,  what  shall 
we  do? 

"Then  Peter  said  unto  them,  Repent, 
and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"For  the  promise  is  unto  you,  and 
to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are 
afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord 
our  God  shall  call. 


Third  Day 

"And  with  many  other  words  did  he 
testify  and  exhort,  saying,  Save  your- 
selves from  this  untoward  generation. 

"Then  they  that  gladly  received  his 
word  were  baptized:  and  the  same  day 
there  were  added  unto  them  about 
three  thousand  souls."  (Acts  2:32-33, 
36-41.) 

Illustrations  To  Inculcate  Faith 

Those  who  were  pricked  in  their 
hearts  gave  evidence  of  faith,  the  first 
principle  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 
The  scriptures  are  replete  with  stories 
of  faith. 

"Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air:  for  they 
sow  not,  neither  do  they  reap,  nor 
gather  into  barns;  yet  your  heavenly 
Father  feedeth  them.  Are  ye  not  much 
better  than  they? 

"Which  of  you  by  taking  thought 
can  add  one  cubit  unto  his  stature? 

"And  why  take  ye  thought  for  rai- 
ment? Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field, 
how  they  grow;  they  toil  not,  neither 
do  they  spin; 

"And  yet  I  say  unto  you,  That  even 
Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not 
arrayed  like  one  of  these. 

"Wherefore,  if  God  so  clothe  the 
grass  of  the  field,  which  to  day  is, 
and  to  morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven, 
shall  he  not  much  more  clothe  you, 
O  ye  of  little  faith?"  (Matt.  6:26-30.) 

Paul  said,  ".  .  .  faith  is  the  substance 
of  things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of 
things  not  seen."  (Heb.  11:1.) 

"And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Because 
of  your  unbelief:  for  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mus- 
tard seed,  ye  shall  say  unto  this  moun- 
tain, Remove  hence  to  yonder  place; 
and  it  shall  remove;  and  nothing  shall 
be  impossible  unto  you."  (Matt.  17:20.) 

The  next  principle  is  repentance  as 
taught  on  that  great  day  of  Pentecost. 

Repentance  a  Principle  for 
Reformation  of  Life 

Repentance  is  a  principle  and  not 
merely  an  expression  of  penitent  grief. 
It  involves  a  reformation  of  life.  The 
Apostle  Paul  spoke  to  the  Corinthian 
Saints: 

"Now  I  rejoice,  not  that  ye  were 
made  sorry,  but  that  ye  sorrowed  to 
repentance:  .  .  . 


ELDER  JOH, 

"For  godly  sorrow  worketh  repen- 
tance to  salvation  not  to  be  repented 
of:  but  the  sorrow  of  the  world  work- 
eth death."  (2  Cor.  7:9-10.) 

Repentance  is  an  eternal  truth  and 
principle.  The  Prophet  Isaiah  under- 
stood this  principle  when  he  said:  "Let 
the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the 
unrighteous  man  his  thoughts:  and  let 
him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will 
have  mercy  upon  him;  and  to  our  God, 
for  he  will  abundantly  pardon."  (Isa. 
55:7.) 

In  conclusion,  as  a  true  definition  of 
repentance,  let  me  quote  the  words  of 
Paul  to  the  Ephesians: 

"Wherefore  putting  away  lying, 
speak  every  man  truth  with  his  neigh- 
hour:  .  .  . 

"Be  ye  angry,  and  sin  not:  let  not 
the  sun  go  down  upon  your  wrath: 

"Neither  give  place  to  the  devil. 

"Let  him  that  stole  steal  no  more: . . . 

"Let  no  corrupt  communication  pro- 
ceed out  of  your  mouth,  .  .  ."  (Eph. 
4:25-29.) 

This  is  the  only  repentance  taught  in 
Holy  Writ  and  simply  means  to  for- 
sake all  sin  and  accomplish  a  reforma- 
tion of  life. 

Yes,  a  transition,  a  transformation,  a 
miracle  can  come  in  the  lives  of  indi- 
viduals today. 

I  remember  being  at  the  baptism 
not  too  long  ago  of  a  fine  business- 
man who  had  maintained  the  stan- 
dards of  the  Church  but  hadn't 
conformed  with  the  formalities.  I  lis- 
tened to  his  first  words  as  he  came  up 
out  of  the  waters  of  baptism:  "Oh, 
why  have  I  waited  so  lonsr?" 

Another  expression,  "Why  have  I 
waited  until  the  afternoon  of  mv  life 
to  see  and  understand  the  truths  of 
the  gospel?" 

Yes,  miracles  are  taking  place  each 
day  in  this  Dispensation  of  the  Ful- 
ness of  Times.  What  is  a  miracle?  An 
act  of  happening  in  the  material  or 
physical  world  which  seems  to  depart 
from  the  laws  of  nature  or  to  go  be- 
yond what  is  known  of  these  laws;  yes, 
a  wonder,  a  marvel. 

Baptism — the  First  Ordinance 

That  brings  me  to  the  third  prin- 
ciple and  the  first  ordinance  of  the 


LONGDEN  129 

gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  bap- 
tism. 

Faith  and  repentance  are  principles, 
and  in  baptism  we  come  to  the  first 
ordinance  necessary  to  enter  the  king- 
dom. 

Baptism  is  essential  to  salvation,  and 
according  to  the  scriptures  it  must  be 
a  specific  type  of  baptism — in  other 
words,  performed  by  immersion.  It  is 
for  the  remission  of  sins,  required  by 
all  who  reach  the  age  of  eight  years, 
for  such  the  Lord  has  revealed  in  this 
day. 

"In  those  days  came  John  the  Bap- 
tist, preaching  in  the  wilderness  of 
Judaea, 

"And  saying,  Repent  ye:  for  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand. 

"Then  went  out  to  him  Jerusalem, 
and  all  Judaea,  and  all  the  region 
round  about  Jordan, 

"And  were  baptized  of  him  in  Jordan, 
confessing  their  sins. 

"But  when  he  saw  many  of  the 
Pharisees,  and  Sadducees  come  to  his 
baptism,  he  said  unto  them,  O  genera- 
tion of  vipers,  who  hath  warned  you 
to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come? 

"Bring  forth  therefore  fruits  meet  for 
repentance: 

"And  think  not  to  say  within  your- 
selves, We  have  Abraham  to  our 
father:  for  I  say  unto  you,  that  God 
is  able'  of  these  stones  to  raise  up  chil- 
dren unto  Abraham. 

"And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  unto 
the  root  of  the  trees:  therefore  everv 
tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good 
fruit  is  hewn  down,  and  cast  into  the 
fire. 

"I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water 
unto  repentance:  but  he  that  cometh 
after  me  is  mightier  than  I.  whose 
shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  bear:  he  shall 
baptize1  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
with  fire: 

"Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he 
will  thoroughly  purge  his  floor,  and 
gather  his  wheat  into  the  garner;  but 
he  will  burn  up  the  chaff  with  un- 
quenchable fire. 

"Then  cometh  Jesus  from  Galilee 
to  Jordan  unto  John,  to  be  baptized  of 
him. 


130  GENERAL  C 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

"But  John  forbad  him,  saying,  I  have 
need  to  be  baptized  of  thee,  and 
comest  thou  to  me? 

"And  Jesus  answering  said  unto  him, 
Suffer  it  to  be  so  now:  for  thus  it 
becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness. 
Then  he  suffered  him. 

"And  Jesus,  when  he  was  baptized, 
went  up  straightway  out  of  the  water: 
and,  lo,  the  heavens  were  opened  unto 
him,  and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  God 
descending  like  a  dove,  and  lighting 
upon  him: 

"And  lo  a  voice  from  heaven,  say- 
ing, This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom 
I  am  well  pleased."  (Matt.  3:1-2,  5-17.) 

So  we  see  how  essential  baptism  is, 
performed  legitimately  by  one  having 
the  authority,  first  to  enter  the  king- 
dom and  second  to  enable  the  indi- 
vidual to  fulfil  all  righteousness. 

"One  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism," 
(Eph.  4:5.) 

The  Lord  to  Nicodemus  said,  "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  a  man 
be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he 
cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God." 
(John  3:5.) 

The  Gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost 

Which  brings  me  to  the  fourth  prin- 
ciple and  the  second  ordinance,  the 
reception  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Having  shown  that  faith,  repentance, 
and  baptism  are  essential  to  the  re- 
mission of  sins,  let  us  now  consider  the 
reception  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Man  is  not  prepared  for  the  in- 
dwelling of  the  Holy  Ghost  unless  he 
repents  of  his  sins  and  becomes  freed 
from  them  by  obedience  to  the  laws 
of  God. 

To  show  that  the  laying  on  hands 
for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  those 
having  divine  authority  was  practised 
by  the  ancient  Apostles,  I  refer  to 
Acts  8:14-21: 

"Now  when  the  apostles  which  were 
at  Jerusalem  heard  that  Samaria  had 
received  the  word  of  God,  they  sent 
unto  them  Peter  and  John: 

"Who,  when  they  were  come  down, 
prayed  for  them,  that  they  might  re- 
ceive the  Holy  Ghost: 

"(For  as  yet  he  was  fallen  upon 
none  of  them:  only  they  were  baptized 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.) 


Third  Day 

"Then  laid  they  their  hands  on 
them,  and  they  received  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

"And  when  Simon  saw  that  through 
laying  on  of  the  apostles'  hands  the 
Holy  Ghost  was  given,  he  offered  them 
money, 

"Saying,  Give  me  also  this  power, 
that  on  whomsoever  I  lay  hands,  he 
may  receive  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"But  Peter  said  unto  him,  Thy 
money  perish  with  thee,  because  thou 
hast  thought  that  the  gift  of  God  may 
be  purchased  with  money. 

"Thou  hast  neither  part  nor  lot  in 
this  matter:  for  thy  heart  is  not  right 
in  the  sight  of  God." 

Another  experience  in  the  life  of  the 
the  Apostle  Paul: 

"And  when  Paul  had  laid  his  hands 
upon  them,  the  Holy  Ghost  came  on 
them;  .  .  ."  (Ibid.,  19:6.) 

"The  Laying  on  of  Hands" 

The  following  references  also  indi- 
cate the  laying  on  of  hands  as  a  sacred 
rite  which  would  not  have  been 
adopted  by  the  Apostles  unless  com- 
manded of  God  to  do  so: 

"Neglect  not  the  gift  that  is  in  thee, 
which  was  given  thee  by  prophecy, 
with  the  laying  on  of  the  hands.  .  .  ." 
(1  Tim.  4:14.) 

"Wherefore  I  put  thee  in  remem- 
brance that  thou  stir  up  the  gift  of 
God,  which  is  in  thee  by  the  putting 
on  of  my  hands."  (2  Tim.  1:6.) 

The  Holy  Ghost  is  a  great  boon  or 
favor  from  the  Lord,  and  many  bless- 
ings are  received  because  of  it. 

"But  the  Comforter,  which  is  the 
Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will 
send  in  my  name,  he  shall  teach  you 
all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to 
your  remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have 
said  unto  you."  (John  14:26.) 

Now  in  conclusion  on  this,  may  I 
give  you  a  thought  from  Paul  in  Gala- 
tions,  and  then  a  thought  from  Parley 
P.  Pratt. 

Paul  said,  "But  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit 
is  love,  joy,  peace,  longsuffering  gentle- 
ness, goodness,  faith, 

"Meekness,  temperance:  .  .  ."  (Gal. 
5:22-23.) 


ELDER  BERNARD  P.  BROCKBANK 


131 


And  Parley  P.  Pratt,  a  prophet  of 
the  Lord  in  this  dispensation,  gave 
this  definition  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"It  inspires  virtue,  kindness,  good- 
ness, tenderness,  gentleness,  and  char- 
ity. It  develops  beauty  of  person,  form, 
and  features.  It  tends  to  health,  vigor, 
animation,  and  social  feeling.  It  de- 
velops and  invigorates  all  the  faculties 
of  the  physical  and  intellectual  man. 
It  strengthens,  invigorates  and  gives 
tone  to  the  nerves.  In  short,  it  is,  as 
it  were,  marrow  to  the  bone,  joy  to 
the  heart,  light  to  the  eyes,  music  to 
the  ears,  and  life  to  the  whole  being." 
(Parley  P.  Pratt,  Key  to  the  Science  of 
Theology,  1948  edition,  p.  100;  as 
quoted  in  James  E.  Talmage,  Articles 
of  Faith,  p.  487.) 


ELDER  BERNARD 

Assistant  to  the  Council 

Brothers  and  sisters,  we  are  here  today 
because  of  revelation  from  the  Lord. 
I  am  going  to  be  very  brief,  but  I  would 
just  like  to  share  with  you  a  recent 
experience,  one  that  many  of  us  often 
have. 

Shortcomings  of  Moderation 

As  I  traveled  from  New  York  to 
Chicago  on  the  way  to  this  conference, 
I  was  seated  next  to  a  VIP  from  one  of 
the  large  industrial  firms  of  the  world. 
He  was  well  educated  as  a  leader  and 
as  a  lawyer  in  his  profession.  He  said 
that  he  had  met  and  personally  knew 
several  Mormons  in  responsible  posi- 
tions and  that  he  was  impressed  with 
their  loyalty,  their  integrity,  and  their 
dedication. 

During  our  conversation  on  religion 
he  said  that  he  knew  little  about  the 
Bible,  but  he  believed  in  moderation 
regarding  the  laws  and  commandments 
of  God.  This  sounds  good,  and  some- 
times we  find  ourselves  indulging  in 
the  same  type  of  thinking. 

I  asked  him  how  moderation  worked 
on  the  commandment,  "Thou  shalt  not 
kill."  (Exod.  20:13.)  How  does  it  work 
on  the  commandment,  "Thou  shalt  not 
commit  adultery"?  (V.  14.) 


I  bear  witness  that  that  Spirit  is 
prevalent  on  the  earth  today  and  will 
come  to  those  who  have  faith,  who 
repent,  who  are  baptized  by  the  true 
servants  of  the  Lord,  and  it  will  be 
unto  them  as  a  boon  and  a  favor  and 
a  guide  into  further  light,  truth,  and 
knowledge.  I  bear  witness  to  these 
things  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

He  to  whom  we  have  just  listened  is 
Elder  John  Longden,  Assistant  to  the 
Twelve.  We  shall  now  hear  from 
Elder  Bernard  P.  Brockbank. 

P.  BROCKBANK 

of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

How  does  it  work  on  the  command- 
ment, "Thou  shalt  not  steal"?  (V.  15.) 

And  after  taking  thought  he  said, 
"Moderation  doesn't  seem  to  work  in 
all  cases." 

I  asked  him  how  it  worked  in  regard 
to  the  great  law  given  by  the  Savior, 
"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind."  (Matt. 
22:37.) 

He  said,  "Moderation  kills  the 
strength  of  this  great  law." 

Justification  of  sin,  whether  in  mod- 
eration or  otherwise,  is  not  from  God. 
It  is  deceitfully  inspired  by  Satan. 

May  I  be  a  little  personal.  Have  you 
ever  justified  weakness  and  sin  in 
moderation?  Do  you  personally  have 
anything  to  repent  of?  Of  course  we 
know  the  answer.  How  long  have  you 
had  the  sin  or  weakness  that  you  desire 
to  repent  of?  It  is  easier  to  give  a  ser- 
mon on  repentance  than  to  practise 
repentance. 

Repentance — Principle  of  Re-education 

What  is  the  next  move  of  one  who 
has  a  problem  to  repent  of?  Have  you 
taught  repentance  to  your  children? 
It  is  of  such  vital  importance  in  God's 
program  that  it  must  be  taught  and 


132  GENERAL  O 

Tuesday,  April  5,  7965 

learned  and  understood.  Do  your  chil- 
dren know  how  to  repent? 

Real  and  deep-seated  love  for  God 
and  Jesus  Christ  comes  into  the  human 
soul  when  forgiveness  of  sin  and  weak- 
ness comes  from  the  atoning  sacrifice 
of  Jesus  Christ.  His  sacrifice  and  atone- 
ment becomes  more  genuine  and  pur- 
poseful when  one  repents  and  receives 
divine  relief  and  forgiveness  from  sin 
and  weakness. 

How  would  you  feel  if  the  golden 
opportunity  of  repentance  were  can- 
celed? 

God's  righteousness  and  spiritual 
growth,  as  well  as  many  other  basic 
principles,  are  founded  on  repentance. 

Repentance  is  the  one  important 
part  of  the  'refiner's  fire'  that  brings 
the  human  soul  to  celestial  glory.  God 
placed  Satan  on  this  earth  to  tempt 
man.  Man  has  appetites  and  human 
frailties  to  master  and  conquer.  The 
human,  Godlike  mind  must  be  trained 
to  be  in  full  control  of  the  soul  and 
life  of  man.  Fear  and  the  appetites  too 
often  creep  in  and  crush  out  the  control 
of  the  mind.  Self-control  and  self- 
mastery  in  righteousness  is  the  real  joy 
of  this  life. 

Attaining  Self-control  and  Perfection 

I  often  reflect  on  the  temptations  of 
the  Master.  Do  you  think  he  gloried 
and  enjoyed  his  strength  and  ability  to 
say  no  to  Satan,  to  say  no  to  the  temp- 
tation of  weakness,  even  after  the  flesh 
and  the  body  had  been  placed  under 
forty  days  of  fasting? 

Repentance  founded  on  Jesus  Christ 
is  one  way  to  attain  self-control  and 
perfection. 

I'd  just  like  to  speak  personally.  My 
own  experience  with  repentance  is 
teaching  me  that  knowing  the  weak- 
ness and  desiring  to  repent  of  it  is  not 
sufficient  to  eliminate  the  problem 
from  my  life.  I  found  that  I  must  again 


Third  Day 

put  my  mind,  my  God-given  brain,  in 
charge  and  not  let  the  habit  or  the 
weakness  run  on  and  inhibit  my  prog- 
ress. 

Sin  in  any  form  stops  spiritual  prog- 
ress. I  am  finding  that  I  have  to 
memorize  what  I  desire  to  repent  of  so 
that  when  I  go  to  do  it  again  I  know 
what  I  told  the  Lord. 

No  wonder  that  in  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  faith  and  repentance  are 
the  first  principles. 

God's  program  of  righteous  growth 
and  eternal  progress  is  founded  on 
faith  and  repentance.  Both  are  free, 
both  are  gifts  from  God,  but  both  are 
of  no  value  unless  used. 

Parents,  you  are  God's  representatives 
in  the  home.  May  we  teach  and  use 
repentance  ourselves  and  teach  our 
children  and  our  neighbors  and  our 
friends  to  do  likewise,  I  pray  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Bernard  P.  Brockbank  has  just 
spoken  to  us.  The  choir  of  the  Logan 
Institute  of  Religion  will  now  sing  the 
Hosanna  Anthem.  The  congregation 
is  invited  to  join  with  the  choir  in 
part  of  the  singing.  It  will  be  led  by 
James  L.  Bradley,  and  he  will  indicate 
to  the  congregation  when  they  are 
to  join  the  choir.  After  the  singing, 
Robert  L.  Simpson  of  the  Presiding 
Bishopric  will  address  us. 


The  Choir  and  the  congregation 
sang  "The  Hosannah  Anthem." 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Bishop  Robert  L.  Simpson  of  the 
Presiding  Bishopric  will  be  our  next 
speaker.  He  will  be  followed  by  Elder 
Richard  L.  Evans  of  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve. 


BISHOP  ROBERT  L.  SIMPSON 

First.  Counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric 

My  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  may  I  was  a  great  experience  of  learning  and 
first  of  all  share  a  great  experience  that  taught  me  a  lesson  that  I  shall  never 
I  had  at  the  age  of  eight  years.  This  forget, 


BISHOP  ROBEl 

Learning  Can  Be  Zestful 

I  remember  the  thrill  of  being  taught 
simple  division.  Three  goes  into  fifteen 
five  times.  It  seemed  almost  like  a 
miracle  as  the  teacher  further  taught 
us  that  all  we  had  to  do  was  multiply 
the  answer  by  the  divisor,  and  we 
would  have  the  number  that  we  started 
with.  She  said  that  by  following  this 
simple  plan  and  procedure  we  could 
check  any  division  problem  and  make 
certain  that  the  answer  was  right. 

A  few  days  later  we  had  our  first 
test  in  simple  division.  I  shall  never 
forget  turning  to  my  school  chum  and 
announcing,  "I  got  an  'A.'"  He  said, 
"How  do  you  know?  We  haven't  even 
graded  the  papers." 

"I  know  I  have  an  'A'  because  I 
checked  every  answer.  I  multiplied  the 
answer  by  the  divisor,  and  I  was  cer- 
tain that  it  was  exactly  the  same  num- 
ber we  started  with.  I  know  I  got  an 
'A.'" 

And  sure  enough  it  was  an  "A"  be- 
cause I  was  standing  on  solid  rock. 
There  was  no  doubt  in  my  mind.  I 
was  dealing  with  an  exact  science,  and 
for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  felt 
really  secure  in  something  that  I  had 
been  taught  in  school.  This  was  an 
exact  science,  and  I  was  able  to  prove 
my  answer  beyond  question. 

Now  in  the  world  today,  I  think  if 
there  were  one  common  wish  among 
all  mankind,  that  wish  would  be  for 
peace — peace  in  the  world;  peace  in 
each  nation;  peace  in  the  community; 
even  a  feeling  of  peace  in  each  home; 
and  perhaps  most  important  of  all, 
peace  of  mind. 

Our  day  will  probably  go  down  in 
history  as  the  day  of  psychiatry,  psy- 
chology, and  tranquilizers.  Now,  I  don't 
mean  to  suggest  that  there  is  no  place 
for  the  professionally  trained  to  treat 
the  mentally  disturbed  or  for  the  pre- 
scribing of  proper  medicine  for  the 
overwrought,  but  I  do  believe  with  all 
my  heart  and  soul  that  most  of  these 
anxieties  found  in  the  hearts  and  minds 
of  men  today  can  be  eliminated  by  a 
return  to  faith  in  God  and  the  resul- 
tant desire  to  obey  his  commandments. 


r  L.  SIMPSON  133 

God's  Plan  Is  a  Super  Highway 

To  me,  and  I  am  sure  to  you,  God's 
plan  is  like  a  superhighway.  This 
superhighway  is  built  on  solid  rock;  it 
is  built  well  above  the  fog-shrouded 
valleys;  and  it  is  built  well  above  the 
swamps  of  infidelity,  selfishness,  and 
immorality.  The  Lord  himself  has  said, 
"I  am  the  light  of  the  world:  he  that 
followeth  me  shall  not  walk  in  dark- 
ness, but  shall  have  the  light  of  life." 
(John  8:12.) 

Heavenly  Father  has  also  said  that 
there  are  laws  irrevocably  decreed  in 
the  heavens  upon  which  all  blessings 
are  predicated.  (See  D&C  130:20-21.) 
If  we  keep  the  law,  we  reap  happiness. 
If  we  violate  the  law  or  ignore  the  law, 
we  have  problems,  and  we  have  un- 
happiness.  It  is  just  as  simple  as  that. 

His  Laws  Are  Sure 

And  so,  as  we  think  back  to  my 
third  grade  experience,  how  much  the 
same  are  God's  laws.  His  laws  are  also 
undeviating,  certain,  proven,  and  all 
we  need  do  is  keep  his  laws,  and  we 
will  be  happy,  we  will  be  successful, 
and  we  will  regain  his  presence. 

With  you,  I  invite  all  men,  all 
women,  all  children,  all  people  every- 
where to  join  in  God's  plan.  Let's  con- 
sider his  law  of  health,  for  example. 
Why  have  all  the  upset  that  we  have 
in  toe  world  through  lack  of  health, 
when  all  we  need  do  is  follow  God's 
plan  as  revealed  in  this  day,  and  then 
we  will  most  likely  have  the  peace  of 
mind  of  a  strong,  healthy  body. 

With  you,  I  would  share  with  the 
world  the  great  truth  that  all  we  have 
to  do  is  give  back  to  Heavenly  Father 
one-tenth  of  our  increase,  and  again 
we  have  peace  of  mind,  as  we  help  to 
build  his  kingdom  unselfishly. 

With  you,  I  would  give  to  the  world 
the  great  truth  that  we  must  have  love 
and  unity  in  our  homes,  and  here 
again  we  can  achieve  a  peace  of  mind 
unattainable  in  any  other  way. 

The  same  thing  can  be  said  of  the 
Sabbath  day,  of  keeping  it  holy,  and 
of  the  peace  that  comes  to  all  who  keep 
that  great  commandment. 

The  same  thing  can  be  said  about 
the  principle  of  prayer.  As  we  com- 
municate with  our  Heavenly  Father, 


134 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

let  him  know  that  we  love  him  and 
that  we  intend  to  keep  his  command- 
ments to  the  very  best  of  our  ability. 

Eternal  Truths 

Yes,  brothers  and  sisters,  there  are 
eternal  truths.  Two  parts  hydrogen  and 
one  part  oxygen  is  water.  It  was  so 
when  Heavenly  Father  was  creating 
the  earth.  It  is  so  today,  and  it  will  be 
so  forever.  This  is  an  eternal  truth  of 
chemistry.  7rr2  has  always  been  and 
always  will  be  the  formula  to  find  the 
area  of  a  circle.  One  hundred  and 
eighty-six  thousand  miles  per  second 
has  been  and  always  will  be  the  speed 
of  light.  Einstein  has  given  us  in  our 
day  that  E  is  equal  to  MC2,  the  theory 
of  relativity. 

As  we  quote  these  basic  truths,  they 
are  simple.  They  are  not  complicated. 
All  basic  truth  seems  to  be  simple.  It 
is  only  when  we  go  beyond  the  realm 
of  truth  that  we  become  complicated, 
that  we  become  mixed  up  in  our 
minds  and  our  emotions. 

Intelligence  for  Family  Home  Evenings 

Brothers  and  sisters,  can  we  simplify 
our  lives,  simplify  our  living,  take 
time  to  do  the  things  that  need  to  be 
done?  If  there  is  not  time  in  our  lives 
for  the  Family  Home  Evening,  there  is 
something  wrong,  and  we  are  getting 
away  from  the  way  Heavenly  Father 
would  have  us  live.  If  there  is  not  time 
in  our  lives  for  personal  prayer,  then 
we  must  take  stock  of  ourselves.  If 
there  is  not  enough  faith  or  money  to 
give  back  to  Heavenly  Father  his  one- 
tenth,  then  we  are  mismanaging  our 
affairs,  and  we  are  getting  away  from 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 

those  things  that  would  bring  us  pure 
and  simple  happiness. 

The  Gospel  Is  the  Way  to  Peace 

So  the  gospel,  brothers  and  sisters, 
is  peace  of  mind,  and  only  as  rapidly 
as  we  get  back  to  the  standard  works 
and  give  heed  to  his  basic  principles 
will  we  have  the  peace  of  mind  that 
Christ  himself  spoke  of  when  he  pro- 
claimed to  the  world:  "Peace  I  leave 
with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto  you: 
not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you. 
Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither 
let  it  be  afraid."  (John  14:27.) 

Brothers  and  sisters,  the  world  giveth 
differently  from  the  way  Christ  giveth, 
and  when  we  partake  of  the  world  as 
the  world  giveth,  we  start  reaching  for 
our  tranquilizers.  But  as  we  reach  for 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  as  we 
reach  for  the  standard  works  of  the 
Church  and  the  truths  revealed  there- 
in, then  I  say  we  are  going  to  have  joy 
in  our  lives,  and  we  can  promise  to 
all  men  there  will  be  happiness  in 
their  lives.  We  can  further  say  that 
theirs  will  be  a  peace  of  mind  that  will 
bring  a  surety  to  their  souls  and  give 
them  the  happiness  to  which  all 
Heavenly  Father's  children  are  en- 
titled. 

I  so  testify  and  pray  that  we  might 
so  live  in  the  name  of  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Elder  Robert  L.  Simpson  of  the  Pre- 
siding Bishopric  has  just  spoken  to  us. 
Elder  Richard  L.  Evans  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve  will  now  address  us. 


ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


President  McKay  and  my  beloved 
brethren  and  sisters.  As  we  have  lis- 
tened during  these  days,  there  is  a 
question  by  Daniel  Webster  that  has 
come  to  mind,  "How  much  is  all  this 
worth?"  It  is  a  question  that  everyone 
might  ask  himself. 


"How  Much  Is  all  this  Worth" 

How  much  would  it  be  worth  to 
know  the  purpose  of  life? 

What  would  it  be  worth  to  have  an 
assurance  of  everlasting  life? 

What  would  it  be  worth  to  know 
that  we  may  have  life  with  our  loved 
ones  everlastingly? 


ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 


135 


How  much  would  it  be  worth  to 
have  peace  and  quietness  of  conscience? 

How  much  is  it  worth  to  be  sus- 
tained in  sorrow,  in  sickness,  to  know 
that  the  Lord  God  is  aware  of  us,  that 
he  loves  us,  that  we  are  his  children, 
that  he  will  not  leave  us  alone? 

How  much  is  it  worth  to  have  a  solid, 
sustaining  faith  in  the  future,  despite 
the  grievous  problems  and  contentions 
that  are  prevalent  among  mankind? 

The  Lord  Is  the  Source  of  Truth 

Think  what  it  would  be  worth  to 
students,  to  young  people  who  are 
torn  between  conflicting  theories  and 
teachings  that  change  from  time  to 
time,  with  the  many  disagreements 
there  are  even  among  the  experts,  to  be 
encouraged  to  search,  to  seek  for  truth, 
to  know  that  the  Lord  God,  whose  in- 
finite intelligence  embraces  the  whole 
universe,  is  the  source  of  all  truth, 
and  to  know  that  there  is  no  point  or 
purpose  in  losing  faith  because  of  con- 
flicting theories,  because  time  and 
patience  and  research  and  revelation 
will  sometime  see  them  all  resolved. 
After  all,  eternity  is  a  long  time,  and 
there  is  infinitely  much  that  men  do 
not  know.  Why  be  disturbed  about  the 
little  that  we  think  we  know.  Many 
theories  once  thought  to  be  true  have 
since  been  set  aside,  and  others  will  be. 

The  Gospel  Encompasses  This: 

What  is  it  worth  to  be  able  to  look 
at  all  things  with  patient  faith,  know- 
ing that  all  the  answers  will  sometime 
be  in  evidence? 

What  is  it  worth  to  have  standards, 
commandments,  moral  laws,  rules  of 
life  which  are  God-given,  and  by 
which  to  judge  our  choices,  our  con- 
duct, so  as  not  to  be  left  to  the  per- 
versions and  sophistries  of  men  for 
such  decisions? 

How  much  is  it  worth  to  those  who 
are  discouraged,  to  those  who  have 
been  harshly  dealt  with,  to  those  for 
whom  life  has  been  hard,  to  those  who 
don't  quite  seem  to  have  found  their 
place;  to  those  who  have  been  mis- 
judged, to  those  who  have  been  de- 
prived of  opportunity,  to  know  that 
God  is  our  Father,  that  he  is  mindful 


of  us,  that  all  we  cannot  understand 
will  sometime  be  understood;  that  all 
injustices  will  be  corrected,  that  in  the 
ultimate  working  out  of  our  Father's 
ways,  no  one  will  receive  anything  he 
shouldn't,  and  no  one  will  be  deprived 
of  anything  he  should  receive? 

As  Emerson  said  in  his  essay  on 
"Compensation,"  which  ties  in  to  what 
Bishop  Simpson  has  just  been  telling 
us,  "The  world  looks  like  ...  a  mathe- 
matical equation,  which,  turn  it  how 
you  will,  balances  itself."  It  is  impos- 
sible for  a  person  to  cheat  anyone  but 
himself.  It  all  adds  up. 

God-given  Rules  of  Life 

All  this  and  much,  much  more  is 
encompassed  within  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  And  certainly  such  peace  and 
purpose,  such  assurance,  would  be 
worth  the  meeting  of  his  requirements, 
the  keeping  of  his  commandments,  and 
should  give  incentive  for  living  clean 
and  useful  and  honorable  and  dedi- 
cated lives. 

All  this  should  be  worth  young 
people's  waiting  for  the  proper  time 
and  season,  waiting  for  life  to  unfold, 
with  virtue,  with  prayerfulness,  with 
respect  for  principles,  with  respect  for 
parents,  with  the  keeping  of  the  com- 
mandments. 

All  this  should  be  worth  overcoming 
appetites,  refraining  from  what  the 
Lord  has  said  is  not  good  for  man, 
heeding  the  simple  counsel  God  has 
given,  which  will  help  us  to  have 
health  and  wisdom  and  knowledge 
and  physical  and  spiritual  blessings. 

Often  we  rush.  We  sometimes  aspire. 
We  sometimes  seek  to  acquire  and  ac- 
cumulate. We  live  with  many  prob- 
lems, with  much  unrest;  we  do  much 
running  around  and  take  time  for 
lesser  things,  looking  elsewhere  for 
answers,  failing  to  find  them. 

Go  to  the  Commandments  of  God 
for  Answers 

And  with  all  the  many  things  that 
men  are  finding,  it  would  seem  that  bed- 
rock answers  should  not  be  so  elusive. 
Indeed,  they  are  not,  but  the  answers 
go  back  to  the  commandments  of  God, 
to  the  principles  given  by  our  Savior, 
to  what  has  been  revealed  through  the 


136  GENERAL  C 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

prophets,  to  that  which  gives  peace 
and  high  purpose,  and  the  assurance 
of  everlasting  life.  And  it  is  worth 
much  to  know  that  there  are  answers, 
that  to  all  of  the  problems  and  all  of 
the  contentions  of  the  world,  there  are 
answers.  We  heard  Brother  Romney 
speak  of  them.  We  heard  Brother  Kim- 
ball speak  of  them.  We  heard  Brother 
Petersen  and  Brother  Hunter  speak  of 
the  commandments  which  have  not 
been  repealed.  God  has  not  changed 
his  mind,  as  Brother  Petersen  indicated 
to  us. 

I  should  like  to  recall  to  your  mind 
just  a  few  sentences  from  these  breth- 
ren: 

From  Brother  Petersen:  "To  leave 
the  path  of  virtue  as  set  forth  by  Christ 
is  an  apostasy  from  Christ.  .  .  . 

"I  ask  you — is  God,  who  the  scrip- 
tures say  is  the  same  yesterday,  today, 
and  forever,  now  changing  his  mind? 

"Does  Jesus  no  longer  believe  what 
he  taught  when  he  was  on  earth? 

"For  any  man  to  attempt  to  change 
the  moral  law  is  like  trying  to  change 
the  Deity  himself." 

May  I  cite  a  few  phrases  from 
Brother  Kimball,  when  he  reminded  us 
that  if  the  problem  "could  be  solved 
with  money,  people  would  tax  them- 
selves to  curb  it.  If  penal  or  correctional 
institutions  would  suffice,  a  great 
building  program  would  be  initiated. 
If  additional  social  workers  could  pre- 
vail, universities  would  add  courses  in 
these  subjects.  If  judges  and  courts 
and  attorneys,  policemen  and  prisons 
and  penitentiaries  would  solve  the 
problem,  the  onrush  of  delinquency, 
such  institutions  would  be  dotted  over 
all  the  land.  But  such  are  not  the  cures 
for  the  malady;  but  the  Lord  has  given 
us  a  plan,  so  simple,  so  costless.  It 
requires  a  change  of  attitudes  and 
transformation  of  our  lives." 

It  requires  that  self-control  of  which 
Brother  Brockbank  has  been  speaking. 
And  any  man  who  can't  control  his 
thoughts  can't  control  his  actions,  and 
any  man  who  can't  control  his  actions 
isn't  safe  in  society. 

May  I  share  with  you  one  sentence 
from  Carlyle.  He  said,  "Over  the  times 
thou  hast  no  power.  .  .  .  Solely  over 
one  man  .  .  .  thou  hast  a  quite  abso- 


Third  Day 

lute  .  .  .  power. — Him  redeem  and 
make  honest." 

There  are  two  pertinent  lines  from 
the  closing  of  a  beautiful  song 
which  the  Tabernacle  Choir  sings, 
"America,  the  Beautiful":  "Confirm 
thy  soul  in  self-control,  Thy  liberty 
in  law." 

Commandments  Are  Self-enforcing 

Sooner  or  later  we  leam  that  the 
commandments  are  self-enforcing.  In 
all  things  there  are  causes  and  conse- 
quences. In  all  things  there  are  stan- 
dards, and  all  that  we  haven't  yet 
reached  or  realized  we  must  arrive  at 
by  repentance  and  improvement.  There 
is  no  way  except  the  Lord's  way.  As 
Dr.  James  W.  Clarke  expressed  it  many 
years  ago  in  a  radio  sermon  quoted  by 
William  H.  Danforth: 

"Christ  is  the  greatest  need  of  the 
world.  Many  of  us  profess  to  be  Chris- 
tians, yet  we  must  confess  that  we  do 
not  take  Him  seriously.  Our  surrender 
is  but  in  part.  We  salute  Him,  but  we 
don't  obey  Him.  We  respect  Him,  but 
we  don't  follow  Him.  We  admire  Him, 
but  we  don't  worship  Him.  We  quote 
His  sayings,  but  we  don't  live  by 
them.  .  .  .  There  is  only  one  way  out 
for  the  world — the  way  of  the  man  of 
Galilee." 

Eternal  Life  Gained  by  Keeping  the 
Commandments 

Jesus  asked  this  of  the  Nephites,  and 
then  answered  his  own  question: 
"Therefore,  what  manner  of  men  ought 
ye  to  be?  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  even 
as  I  am."  (3  Nephi  27:27.) 

"And,  if  you  keep  my  command- 
ments," he  said  elsewhere,  "and  endure 
to  the  end  you  shall  have  eternal  life, 
which  gift  is  the  greatest  of  all  the 
gifts  of  God."  (D&C  14:7.) 

How  much  is  all  this  worth?  It  can- 
not be  calculated. 

"We  have  nothing  to  lose — except 
everything."  And  nothing  to  gain  ex- 
cept everything — eternal  life  with  our 
Father  and  his  Son,  and  with  our 
loved  ones  with  us  everlastingly,  and 
peace  and  purpose  and  assurance  here 
and  now, 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


137 


Leaving  you  my  witness  as  to  the  religion.  . . .  Radiate  what  you  are  and 
truth  of  this  work  and  as  to  how  much     all  who  come  under  its  influence  will 

all  of  this  is  worth,  in  closing  there  Rafter's  blessings  be  with 

comes  to  mind  these  words  from  Presi-  you  alwaySj  t  pray  in  jesus'  name. 
dent  McKay:  "Go  home  and  live  your  Amen. 

PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


(After  the  Brethren  had  assisted 
President  McKay  to  the  pulpit,  he 
chuckled  as  he  said:) 

"I  am  not  as  weak  as  seems." 

We  have  had  a  great  Conference 
and  my  heart  is  full.  I  should  like  to 
express  appreciation,  especially  to  the 
brethren  and  sisters  who  came  down 
here  this  morning  before  daylight  in 
order  to  get  a  seat.  This  audience  is 
blessed  by  the  presence  of  those  men 
and  women  who  have  traveled  many 
miles,  some  of  them  getting  up  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  to  come  down 
here  and  stay  all  day.  I  think  their 
having  done  so  preaches  a  sermon  to 
all  of  us  to  devotion  to  the  work,  will- 
ingness to  accept  any  assignment,  and 
eagerness  to  get  the  guidance  of  truths 
as  proclaimed  by  the  members  of  the 
General  Authorities. 

I  have  dictated  a  few  lines  expressive 
of  my  feelings  for  fear  I  should  not 
be  able  to  say  impressively  what  I 
want  to  say  to  you  brethren  and  sisters, 
and  give  a  blessing  to  all  of  you,  so  I 
am  going  to  ask  one  of  my  sons  to 
read  what  I  handed  him  this  after- 
noon and  let  that  be  the  message  I 
want  to  give. 

He  then  evoked  laughter  from  the 
audience  as  he  said: 

"I  wish  I  had  freer  use  of  this  old 
tongue  that  wants  to  wrap  itself 
around  my  teeth." 

God  bless  you,  brethren  and  sisters, 
you  stake  presidencies,  you  bishoprics 
of  wards,  you  officers,  stake  and  local, 
you  mothers  and  fathers,  you  young 
people  who  are  doing  so  much  to 
build  up  the  kingdom.  Much  of  what 
you  brethren  and  sisters  do  we  never 
hear  about,  and  it  seems  as  though  you 
are  working  without  visible  results,  but 
no  good  deed  can  be  performed,  no 
kind  word  can  be  spoken  without  its 
effects  being  felt  for  the  good  of  the 


whole.  Sometimes  the  good  may  be  in- 
finitesimal, but  as  a  rock  that  is  thrown 
into  a  pool  starts  a  wave  from  the 
center  which  continues  to  enlarge  until 
every  part  of  the  shore  is  touched,  so 
your  deeds,  silent,  many  of  them  un- 
known, unspoken,  and  unheralded, 
continue  to  radiate  and  touch  many 
hearts. 

We  are  not  unappreciative  of  what 
you  are  doing.  Nobody  can  go  out  to  a 
dedicatory  service  of  one  of  our  church 
edifices,  hear  incidents,  details,  illus- 
trations, of  what  seems  to  be  sacrifices 
of  hours  and  hours  of  work  freely  given, 
without  being  deeply  impressed  with 
the  integrity  and  sincerity  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  Church. 

Why  do  we  hold  these  conference 
meetings  and  all  other  meetings  in  the 
Church?  They  are  held  for  the  good  of 
the  individual — for  your  son  and  my 
son,  your  daughter  and  mine.  The  Lord 
has  said,  ". . .  if  it  so  be  that  you  should 
labor  all  your  days  in  crying  repen- 
tance unto  this  people,  and  bring,  save 
it  be  one  soul  unto  me,  how  great  shall 
be  your  joy  with  him  in  the  kingdom 
of  my  Father! 

"And  now,  if  your  joy  will  be  great 
with  one  soul  that  you  have  brought 
unto  me  into  the  kingdom  of  my 
Father,  how  great  will  be  your  joy  if 
you  should  bring  many  souls  unto  me!" 
(D&C  18:15-16.) 

The  whole  purpose  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  this  great  Church,  so  complete, 
so  perfect,  is  to  bless  the  individual. 
How  that  stands  out  in  striking  con- 
trast, in  opposition,  to  the  claim  of  the 
communist  who  says  that  the  indi- 
vidual is  but  a  spoke  in  the  wheel  of 
the  state,  that  the  state  is  all  in  all,  the 
individual  being  but  a  contributing 
factor  to  the  perpetuation  and  strength 
of  the  state. 

That  idea  is  diametrically  opposed  to 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  Jesus  sought 


138  GENERAL  C 

Tuesday,  April  5,  1965 

for  a  perfect  society  by  perfecting  the 
individual.  He  recognized  the  fallacy 
in  the  dream  of  those  who  hoped  to 
make  a  perfect  society  out  of  imper- 
fect individuals.  In  all  his  labors  and 
associations,  he  sought  the  perfection  of 
the  individual. 

The  goal  he  always  set  before  his 
followers  was  the  emancipation  of  men 
and  women  from  greed,  from  anger, 
from  jealousy,  from  hatred,  from  fear; 
and  in  their  place  he  hoped  to  bring 
about  a  complete  and  normal  develop- 
ment of  the  individual's  divine  powers 
through  right  thinking  and  unselfish, 
efficient  service. 

He  promised  no  material  rewards, 
but  he  did  promise  perfected,  divine 
manhood.  "Be  ye  therefore  perfect, 
even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven 
is  perfect."  (Matt.  5:48.)  And  with 
that  divine  manhood  comes  the  result- 
ant happiness — true  happiness. 

God  bless  you,  my  dear  fellow  work- 
ers, you  General  Authorities,  stake 
presidencies,  bishoprics,  every  officer 
and  teacher  throughout  the  land — 
every  member!  May  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  abide  in  your  hearts  and  in 
your  homes,  that  people,  partaking  of 
your  radiation  of  honesty,  integrity,  up- 
rightness, and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  will  be  led  to  glorify  our 
Father  in  heaven. 

God  help  us  to  bring  about  that 
peace  in  the  only  way  that  it  can 
come,  which  is  through  obedience  to 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  pray  in 
his  holy  name.  Amen. 

President  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Regarding  the  music  for  this  confer- 
ence, President  McKay  has  asked  me  to 
express  his  feelings  of  appreciation  as 
follows:  "While  the  inspiration  of  this 
beautiful  music  is  still  upon  us,  I  de- 
sire to  express  my  deep  gratitude  and 
thanks  to  these  young  singers  this  after- 
noon, and  especially  for  their  having 
honored  me  with  that  special  number. 
These  choice  young  singers  today,  and 
the  Brigham  Young  University  Com- 
bined Choruses  yesterday,  have  blessed 
all  of  us  with  their  inspiring  singing. 
The  Tabernacle  Choir  also  thrilled  us 
with  their  excellent  singing  on  the 
broadcast  session  Sunday  morning  and 


Third  Day 

again  Sunday  afternoon.  The  Men's 
Chorus  from  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
added  much  to  the  priesthood  meeting 
on  Monday  evening.  I  also  wish  to 
express  appreciation  to  the  conductors 
and  organists.  Truly,  a  thing  of  beauty 
is  a  joy  forever.  Thank  the  Lord  for 
the  divine  gift  of  music.  May  there  be 
an  increase  in  our  appreciation  for  the 
services  rendered  by  these  men  and 
women  in  our  Church  who  are  willing 
to  devote  their  musical  gifts  for  the  up- 
building of  our  souls.  God  bless  you." 

President  McKay  wishes  me  to  ex- 
press appreciation  also  to  all  who  have 
in  any  way  contributed  to  the  success 
and  inspiration  of  this  great  confer- 
ence. He  is  especially  grateful  to  his 
beloved  associates,  the  General  Author- 
ities, who  have  delivered  such  timely 
and  inspirational  messages.  We  appre- 
ciate also  the  careful  and  efficient  at- 
tention given  by  local  and  national 
press  representatives,  and  the  represen- 
tatives of  radio  and  television  in  re- 
porting the  sessions  of  this  conference. 
We  deeply  appreciate  the  cooperation 
of  city  officials,  city  traffic  officers,  who 
have  handled  carefully  and  ably  the 
increased  traffic,  the  fire  department 
and  the  Red  Cross,  who  had  been  on 
hand  to  render  assistance  whenever  and 
wherever  needed. 

We  thank  the  Tabernacle  ushers  for 
their  courtesy  and  consideration  in 
seating  the  great  audiences  of  this 
conference. 

As  heretofore  mentioned,  we  are  most 
grateful  to  the  owners  and  managers  of 
the  many  radio  and  television  stations 
throughout  the  nation  and  our  own 
city  who  have  carried  the  sessions  of 
this  conference  from  coast  to  coast  and 
to  many  countries  of  the  world. 
Through  the  extensive  radio  and  tele- 
vision coverage  of  this  annual  confer- 
ence, untold  millions  have  been  able 
to  participate. 

Just  a  reminder  again  about  driving 
in  the  city  and  on  the  highways. 
Please  obey  traffic  rules.  Good  man- 
ners, patience  and  alertness  are  neces- 
sary if  we  are  to  reduce  the  number 
of  automobile  accidents. 

We  wish  also  again  to  express  our 
gratitude  to  the  donors  of  these  lovely 
flowers  of  which  we  have  spoken  pre- 
viously. 


PRESIDENT  HUGH  B.  BROWN 


139 


May  we  add  just  a  word  to  this 
splendid  chorus  this  afternoon.  Not 
only  have  you  contributed  much  to  the 
spirit  of  this  occasion,  but  we  are  sure 
you  have  learned  much  by  reason  of 
your  presence  here.  May  God  bless  you 
young  people  as  you  go  forward  on 
life's  journey.  May  you  be  blessed  in 
your  educational  pursuits.  May  you  be 
blessed  in  the  selection  of  your  life's 
companion  and  your  life's  work.  We 
thank  you  for  your  presence  and  for 
your  contribution. 

The  Choir  of  the  Logan  Institute  of 
Religion  will  now  sing,  "Eternal 
Light."  The  benediction  will  be  offered 
by  Elder  Levi  B.  Thorup,  formerly 
president  of  the  Danish  Mission,  after 
which  this  conference  will  stand  ad- 
journed for  six  months. 

The  Logan  L.  D.  S.  Institute  Choir 
sang  an  anthem,  "Eternal  Life,"  fol- 
lowing which  the  benediction  was 
offered  by  Elder  Levi  B.  Thorup. 

Conference  adjourned  for  six  months. 

The  Salt  Lake  Tabernacle  Choir 
furnished  the  musical  numbers  for  the 


Sunday  morning  and  afternoon  ses- 
sions, Richard  P.  Condie,  Conductor, 
and  Jay  E.  Welch,  Assistant  Conductor. 

The  Men  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
furnished  the  choral  music  for  the 
General  Priesthood  meeting  Monday 
evening,  Richard  P.  Condie  conduct- 
ing. 

The  Brigham  Young  University 
Combined  Choruses  furnished  the  mu- 
sic for  the  Monday  morning  and  after- 
noon meetings,  Maughan  McMurdie, 
Conductor;  and  the  music  for  the 
Tuesday  (April  6)  sessions  was  fur- 
nished by  the  Logan  Institute  of 
Religion  Choir,  with  James  L.  Bradley 
conducting. 

Richard  P.  Condie  directed  the 
singing  of  the  Choir  on  the  Tabernacle 
Choir  and  Organ  broadcast  Sunday 
morning. 

Accompaniments  on  the  organ  were 
played  by  Alexander  Schreiner,  Frank 
W.  Asper  and  Roy  M.  Darley,  Taber- 
nacle Organists. 

Joseph  Anderson 
Clerk  of  the  Conference 


140 


CHOIR  AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST 


SALT  LAKE  MORMON 
TABERNACLE  CHOIR  AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST 


The  following  broadcast,  written  and 
announced  by  Richard  L.  Evans,  and 
originating  with  Station  KSL,  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah,  was  presented  from 
9:35  to  10:00  a.m.,  Sunday,  April  4, 
1965,  through  the  courtesy  of  Colum- 
bia Broadcasting  System's  network, 
throughout  the  United  States,  parts  of 
Canada,  and  through  other  facilities  to 
several  points  overseas.  The  broadcast 
was  as  follows: 

(The  organ  played,  "As  The  Dew 
From  Heaven  Distilling,"  and  on  sig- 
nal the  Choir  and  organ  broke  into  the 
hymn,  "Gently  Raise  The  Sacred 
Strain,"  singing  the  words  to  the  end 
of  the  second  line,  and  humming  to 
end  of  verse  for  announcer's  back- 
ground.) 

Announcer:  Once  more  we  wel- 
come you  within  these  walls  with 
music  and  the  spoken  word  from  the 
Crossroads  of  the  West 

The  CBS  Radio  Network  and  its 
affiliated  stations  bring  you  at  this 
hour  another  presentation  from  Tem- 
ple Square  in  Salt  Lake  City  with 
Richard  P.  Condie  conducting  the 
Tabernacle  Choir,  Alexander  Schreiner, 
Tabernacle  Organist,  and  the  Spoken 
Word  by  Richard  Evans. 

With  the  words  of  Parley  P.  Pratt 
and  the  music  of  George  Careless  we 
hear  a  hymn  of  solid  reassuring  faith: 
"The  morning  breaks;  the  shadows 
flee;  Lo,  Zion's  standard  is  unfurled! 
The  dawning  of  a  brighter  day,  Ma- 
jestic rises  on  the  world." 

(The  Choir  Sang:  "The  Morning 
Breaks" — Careless.) 

Announcer:  Alexander  Schreiner 
presents  from  Temple  Square  today  the 
"Andante  Cantabile"  from  Pathetique 
Sonata  by  Beethoven. 

(Organ  Selection:  "Andante  Can- 
tabile"—Beethoven.  ) 

Announcer:  Cyril  Jenkins,  contem- 
porary British  composer,  has  given  us 
this  setting  for  words  selected  from  the 
112th  Psalm,  and  the  7th  Chapter  of 
Revelation:  "Unto  the  upright  there 
ariseth  light  in  the  darkness. . . .  These 
are  they  which  came  out  of  great  trib- 
ulation . . .  they  shall  hunger  and  thirst 


no  more  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all 
tears  from  their  eyes.  Therefore  are 
they  before  the  throne  of  God,  and 
serve  Him  day  and  night  in  His  Tem- 
ple."— "Light  in  Darkness." 

(The  Choir  sang:   "Light  in  Dark- 
ness"— Jenkins.) 
The  Spoken  Word: 

Announcer:  There  is  a  sentence  from 
John  Ruskin  that  suggests  a  subject: 
"Do  not  think  you  can  make  a  girl 
lovely,"  he  said,  "if  you  do  not  make 
her  happy."1  This  moves  us  to  the 
question  of  marriage,  of  the  hearts  of 
parents,  of  children,  and  of  all  that 
happens  at  home.  And  to  those  about 
to  marry — and  to  those  who  are — let  it 
be  said  that  marriage  is  not  meant  to 
be  a  half-way  matter.  What  you  invest 
in  this  venture  is  beyond  calculation. 
There  is  no  more  complete  commit- 
ment. And  it  works  both  ways:  If 
either  one  of  you  is  unhappy,  both  of 
you  will  be.  And  if  you  are  happy  with 
each  other,  your  children  likely  will  be. 
"The  most  important  thing  a  father 
can  do  for  his  children,"  wrote  one 
writer,  "is  to  love  their  mother."2 
"Every  home  may  be  maintained  if  the 
members  will  maintain  it.  Any  home 
may  be  destroyed  if  either  of  the  two 
members  will  to  destroy  it.  .  .  .  Such 
domestic  unions  are  spiritual  .  .  . 
[and]  represent  unity  of  heart  and 
intellect,  of  will  and  of  conscience. 
Such  marriages,  moreover,  represent  the 
primary  element  of  equality  ...  so  that 
[as  John  Stuart  Mill  said  it],  'each  can 
enjoy  the  luxury  of  looking  up  to  the 
other'  "3  "Marriage  gives  the  finest 
opportunity  that  life  affords  for  prac- 
tising .  .  .  principles  .  .  .  flexibility, 
adaptation,  fair-mindedness,  .  .  .  upon 
which  durability  .  .  .  depend  [s]."4 
In  marriage,  as  in  all  relationships  of 
life,  all  have  adjustments  to  make.  No 
one  is  perfect;  all  have  faults;  all  can 
find  faults.  Little  things  can  be  much 
magnified.  William  Cowper  gave  us 


ljohn  Ruskin,  Lilies:  OF  Queens  Gardens 
2Author  Unknown 

3Charles  F.  Thwing,  "The  American  Family," 
Living  Age  Magazine,  Aug.   19,  1911 

4Ida  M.  Tarbell,  "The  Business  of  Being  a 
Woman,"  American  Magazine,  March  1912 


CHOIR  AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST 


141 


this  couplet:  "The  kindest  and  the 
happiest  pair,  will  find  occasion  to 
forbear;  find  something  every  day  they 
live,  to  pity,  and  perhaps  forgive."5 
Beauty  is  sometimes  sought.  But  there 
is  beauty  of  much  more  than  face  and 
features.  There  is  beauty  of  character; 
beauty  of  intelligence;  beauty  that 
lights  the  countenance,  beauty  that 
increases  with  respect,  with  service, 
with  kindness  and  sincere  considera- 
tion. Remember  that  in  marriage  you 
are  investing  more  than  can  be  calcu- 
lated, and  if  either  of  you  is  unhappy, 
both  of  you  will  be.  "The  sum  which 
two  married  people  owe  each  other  de- 
fies calculation,"  said  Goethe.  "It  is  an 
infinite  debt,  which  can  only  be  dis- 
charged through  all  eternity."6  "Do 
not  think  you  can  make  a  girl  lovely, 
if  you  do  not  make  her  happy."  We 
close  recalling  a  sentence  from  Presi- 
dent McKay:  "No  other  success  can 
compensate  for  failure  in  the  home."7 

(The  organ,  without  announcement, 
played,  "An  Angel  From  On  High"— 
Tullidge.) 

Announcer:  With  Alexander  Schrein- 
er  on  Temple  Square  today  we  have 
heard  a  hymn  tune  by  John  Tullidge: 
"An  Angel  From  on  High  the  long 
long  silence  broke, . . ." 

With  the  words  of  Orson  F.  Whitney 
and  the  music  of  Edward  P.  Kimball, 
the  Tabernacle  Choir  sings  a  song  sym- 


sWilliam  Cowper  (1731-1800),  Eng.  poet 
GGoethe,  Elective  Affinities,  bk.  1 
7President  David  O.  McKay,  April  4,  1954 
"The  Spoken  Word,"  heard  over  Radio  Station 
KSL  and  the  CBS  Radio  Network,  from  the  Taber- 
nacle, Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake  City,  Sunday,  April 
4,  1965  11:35  a.m.  to  12:00  noon,  Eastern  Time. 
Copyright  1965. 


bolic  of  the  passing  season,  of  repent- 
ance and  forgiveness  for  the  past,  and 
faith  for  the  future:  "The  wintry  day, 
descending  to  its  close,  Invites  all 
wearied  nature  to  repose,  And  shades 
of  night  are  falling  dense  and  fast  Like 
sable  curtains  closing  o'er  the  past. 
Pale  through  the  gloom  the  newly  fall- 
en snow  Wraps  in  a  shroud  the  silent 
earth  below  As  though  'twere  mercy's 
hand  had  spread  the  pall,  A  symbol  of 
forgiveness  unto  all." 

(The  Choir  Sang:  "The  Wintry 
Day"— Kimball.) 

Announcer:  The  Tabernacle  Choir 
now  recalls  Campbell-Tipton's  sincere 
and  grateful  song:  "I  Will  Give 
Thanks  Unto  The  Lord;  with  my 
whole  heart  will  I  praise  Thee,  O 
God." 

(The  Choir  sang:  "I  Will  Give 
Thanks  Unto  The  Lord"— Campbell- 
Tipton.) 

Announcer:  Again  we  leave  you 
within  the  shadows  of  the  everlasting 
hills.  May  peace  be  with  you,  this 
day — and  always. 

This  concludes  the  eighteen  hun- 
dred and  fifty-ninth  presentation,  con- 
tinuing the  36th  year  of  this  traditional 
broadcast  from  the  Mormon  Taber- 
nacle on  Temple  Square,  brought  to 
you  by  CBS  Radio  and  its  affiliated 
stations,  originating  with  Radio  Sta- 
tion KSL  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

Richard  P.  Condie  conducted  the 
Tabernacle  Choir.  Alexander  Schreiner 
was  at  the  organ.  The  spoken  word  by 
Richard  Evans. 

In  another  seven  days,  at  this  same 
hour,  music  and  the  spoken  word  will 
be  heard  again  from  the  Crossroads  of 
the  West. 


Index 


Anderson,  Elder  Joseph,  Clerk  of  the  Conference   1,  139 

Auditing  Committee  Report    99 

Authorities  and  Officers  Present    4 

Authorities  and  Officers  Presented  and  Sustained  97,  98 

Benson,  Elder  Ezra  Taft   121 

Objectives  and  Guide  Lines,  120;  His  Children  to  Act  on  Their  own  Initiative 
and  Responsibility,  122;  The  Home  Evening,  122;  Warning  of  Threats  to  Free- 
dom, 122;  "The  War  in  Heaven"— Is  Raging  on  Earth  Today,  125. 

Brockbank,  Elder  Bernard  P  130 

Shortcomings  of  Moderation,  131;  Repentance — Principle  of  Re-education,  131; 
Attaining  Self-control  and  Perfection,  132. 

Brown,  President  Hugh  B  4,  5,  8,  9,  12,  16,  17,  26,  29,  39, 

59,  60,  65,  69,  71,  72,  73,  75,  78,  81,  86,  89,  93, 
96,  99,  100,  101,  102,  120,  121,  124,  125,  126,  131,  132,  134 

Brown,  President  Hugh  B   39 

Dispensation  of  the  Fullness  of  Times,  40;  A  Living  Personal  God,  40;  Man 
Created  in  the  Image  of  God,  40;  A  Redeemer,  40;  The  Church  in  the  Meridian 
of  Time,  40;  The  Church  Re-established  40;  Mortality,  One  Stage  in  the  Eternal 
Plan,  41;  Pre-mortal  Existence,  41;  Christ,  Redeemer  and  Savior  of  Mankind, 
41;  Man's  Freedom,  42;  Mortality,  Intermediate  Stage  between  Eternities,  42; 
Mortality  for  Adam's  Posterity,  42;  The  Atonement  by  Jesus  Christ,  42;  Resur- 
rection for  All,  43;  Degrees  of  Glory,  43;  Twelve  Apostles,  43;  Apostacy  and 
Disintegration,  44;  The  Restoration,  44. 

Brown,  Bishop  Victor  L   66 

Entrusted  with  a  Child  of  God,  66;  True  Love  is  unselfish,  66;  Teach  Honesty 
by  Being  Honest,  67;  Teach  in  your  Homes,  68. 

Burton,  Elder  Theodore  M  110 

The  Coming  of  Elijah,  110;  Elijah  Expected,  110;  Restoration  Before  the  Com- 
ing of  the  Dreadful  Day,  111;  Commandment  to  Teach  the  Gospel,  111;  Cove- 
nant of  Adam,  112;  Sealed  by  the  Priesthood,  112;  Power  to  Seal,  112;  Authority 
to  Seal,  112;  Ordinances  for  the  Dead,  113;  Work  of  Elijah  for  the  Living  and 
the  Dead,  114. 

Church  Finance  Committee  report  98,  99 

Critchlow,  Elder  William  J.,  Jr   73 

Remember  the  Sabbath  Day— to  Keep  it  Holy,  74;  "Be  Ye  Clean,"  74;  The 
Book  of  Mormon  Testifies  of  Christ,  74. 

Dunn,  Elder  Paul  H   31 

Father  Substitutes  for  Mother,  32;  Importance  of  Role  of  Father,  Mother,  33; 
Successful  Families  Require  Affection,  33;  Supervision  And  Discipline,  33; 
and  Unity,  33;  A  Father's  Ten  Commandments,  33. 

Dyer,  Elder  Alvin  R   81 

The  Priesthood  Sustains  Man,  82;  Articles  of  Righteous  Dominion,  82;  Man 
must  be  Worthy,  82;  False  Principles,  83;  Avoid  Whatever  Deteriorates  Human 
Personality,  84;  Obedience  to  the  Word  of  God  is  the  Way  to  Perfection,  84; 


144 


INDEX 


Influence  of  Priesthood  Executive  Committee,  85;  Habits  which  Weaken  Good 
Men,  85. 


Evans,  Elder  Richard  L. 


134 


"How  Much  Is  All  This  Worth?"  134;  The  Lord  is  the  Source  of  Truth,  135; 
The  Gospel  Encompasses  This,  135;  God-given  Rules  of  Life,  135;  Go  to  the 
Commandments  of  God  for  Answers,  135;  Commandments  are  Self -enforcing 
136;  Eternal  Life  Gained  by  Keeping  the  Commandments,  136. 


First  Day 

Morning  Meeting   

Afternoon  Meeting  

General  Authorities  Present 


16 


4 


1 


General  Authorities  and  Officers  Presented  and  Sustained  100,  101,  102 


General  Priesthood  Meeting   78 


Hanks,  Elder  Marion  D   90 

"How  Lucky  Can  You  Be!"  90;  Investment  in  Health,  91;  The  Nature  of 
Alcohol,  91;  The  Cleanness  and  Integrity  of  the  Human  Body,  91;  the  Temple 
in  Which  the  Spirit  Dwells,  92;  "A  principle  with  a  promise,"  92. 


Hinckley,  Elder  Gordon  B. 


75 


A  Yoke  of  Bondage — A  Panel  of  the  Enslaved,  75;  Cigarette  Smoking — a  Health 
Hazard,  76;  Millions  to  Advertise  the  Slave  Master,  77;  Emancipation  from 
Tobacco  Slavery — a  Health  Issue,  77;  132  Years  Ago  God  Said,  "Tobacco  is  not 
good  for  man,"  77;  In  Consequence  of  Evils  and  Designs,  77;  The  Way  to 
Liberty,  77. 

Hunter,  Elder  Howard  W  55 

Clues  to  Evidence  of  God's  Concern  for  His  Children,  55;  The  First  Command- 
ment, 56;  The  Second  ...  56;  The  Third  ...  56;  The  Fourth  ...  56;  The 
Fifth  ...  57;  The  Sixth  ...  57;  The  Seventh  ...  57;  The  Eighth  ...  57;  The 

Ninth  57;  The  Tenth  ...  57;  Duty  to  God  and  Neighbor,  58;  1'he  Basis  of 

Laws  for  Men,  58. 

Isaacson,  Elder  Thorpe  B  126 

The  Influence  of  President  McKay,  126;  Two  Stories,  126;  Prophets  in  Our 
Midst,  127. 

Kimball,  Elder  Spencer  W   60 

Turbulent  Times,  60;  Can  Be  Arrested,  60;  Fathers  Respected,  61;  Home  Eve- 
ning Program,  62;  "Put  father  back  at  the  head  of  the  family,"  62;  Teach 
the  Children,  64. 

Lee,  Elder  Harold  B   12 

Wickedness  Caused  God  to  Weep,  13;  "Sins  upon  the  heads  of  their  fathers," 
13;  Children  not  likely  to  be  better  than  parents,  13;  Loss  of  Children  Charged 
to  Parents,  14;  Redemption  from  Spiritual  Darkness,  14;  Parents,  not  Schools, 
must  Save  Children  from  Evil,  14;  The  Church  Can  Help,  14;  The  Weekly 
Home  Evening,  15. 

Longden,  Elder  John   127 

"Preaching  the  Word,"  128;  Jesus  Commissioned  The  Disciples,  128;  "We  all 
are  witnesses,"  128;  Illustration  to  Inculcate  Faith,  128;  Repentance,  a  Principle 
of  Reformation  of  Life,  128;  Baptism,  The  First  Ordinance,  129;  The  Gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  130;  "The  Laying  on  of  Hands,"  130. 

McConkie,  Elder  Brace  R   27 

He  Will  Answer,  27;  How  to  Receive  His  Answer,  27;  The  Book  of  Mormon,  28; 


INDEX 


145 


His  Servants  Testify,  28;  Moroni's  Promise,  28;  The  Keystone  of  Our  Re- 
ligion, 29. 

McKay,  President  David  0  5,  6,  7,  8,  39,  137 

Opening  Address  (Read  by  Elder  Robert  R.  McKay)  2,  3;  Safeguards  against 
Delinquency,  5;  Tendency  to  Dishonor  Marriage  Vows,  5;  Ever-increasing 
crime,  5;  Decline  of  Moral  Strength,  6;  Safeguard  Against  Delinquency:  Home, 
6;  Safeguard  Against  Delinquency,  Church,  7;  Schools,  8;  Moral  Atmosphere 
of  Leaders,  Community,  State  and  Nation,  8. 

McKay,  President  David  0  79,  136 

Appreciation  to  Priesthood  Members,  79;  Address  to  General  Priesthood  Meeting 
(Read  by  Dr.  Edward  R.  McKay)  79,  80,  81;  Closing  Remarks,  137. 

Monson,  Elder  Thomas  S   44 

"I  am  blind,"  45;  "And  it  is  springtime,"  45;  The  Gift  of  Sight,  45;  "From 
Darkness  into  Light,  46;  Lives  Enlightened  by  Truth,  46;  The  Principle  of 
Love,  46;  The  Wayward  Son  Returned,  47;  The  Weak  Become  Strong,  47. 

Packer,  Elder  Boyd  K   69 

Lending  Your  Treasures,  70;  Parents  Own  Guidance  in  Dating,  70;  Some 
Dating  Guide  Lines,  70;  How  to  Appreciate,  70;  Group  Dating,  70;  Church 
Guide  Lines,  70;  Parents  Love  You,  71;  Accept  Discipline,  the  Reliable 
Maturer,  71;  Honor  Father  and  Mother,  71. 

Petersen,  Elder  Mark  E  '.   34 

Tendency  of  Mankind  to  Drift,  34;  Characteristics  of  Apostasy,  35;  Iniquity 
Challenges  Christ's  Doctrines,  35;  Disaster  in  the  Wake  of  Attempt  to  Re- 
verse Divine  Law,  35;  Apostasy  through  Immorality — Paganism,  37;  Virtue, 
Fruit  of  the  Restored  Gospel,  37;  A  People  of  Virtue  and  Purity,  37. 

Richards,  Elder  Franklin  D  107 

Differences,  170;  All  that  God  Has  Revealed,  107;  "If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom," 
107;  "My  Beloved  Son,"  107;  He  is  the  Christ,  Our  Savior  and  Redeemer,  108; 
Vision  Outstanding,  108;  Concept  of  the  Godhead,  108;  Oneness  of  the  God- 
head, 108;  Revelation  Continues,  108;  He  Will  Reveal  Many  Great  and  Impor- 
tant Things,  108;  Authority  Restored,  108;  The  Gospel  Restored,  109;  Good 
Will  Toward  Men,  109;  Family  and  Home,  109;  Testimony,  109. 

Richards,  Elder  Le  Grand   116 

A  Man  Anew,  116;  What  Will  Unite  Christendom,  117;  Modern  Revelation, 
117;  Joseph  of  Egypt  Told  of  the  Modern  Prophet,  117;  A  Minister  with  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood,  118;  Building  for  a  Thousand  Years,  119;  World  Knowl- 
edge of  Eternal  Marriage  and  Family,  119. 

Romney,  Elder  Marion  G  103 

Our  Civilization  is  Going  Forward  Backwards,  104;  God  Has  Revealed  the 
Remedy,  104;  The  Remedy:  The  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  105;  Backwardness 
Can  Be  Reversed,  105;  Otherwise,  A  Desolating  Scourge,  105;  "The  Voice  of 
Warning  shall  be  to  all  people,"  106;  The  Second  Advent  of  Our  Lord,  Jesus 
Christ,  106. 

Salt  Lake  Mormon  Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  Broadcast   140,  141 

Second  Day 

Morning  Meeting   38 

Afternoon  Meeting    59 

Evening  —  Priesthood  Meeting   78 

Sill,  Elder  Sterling  W   86 

"My  Father's  Business,"  87;  Blessings,  If  You  Obey,  87;  Forces  of  Death,  87; 
Safeguards  against  Forces  of  Destruction,  88;  Wages  of  Sin,  89;  "To  be 
spiritually  minded  is  life  and  peace,"  89. 


146  INDEX 

Simpson,  Bishop  Robert  L  132 

Learning  Can  Be  Zestful,  133;  God's  Plan  is  a  Super  Highway,  133;  His  Laws 
are  Sure,  133;  Eternal  Truths,  134;  Intelligence  for  Family  Home  Evenings, 
134;  The  Gospel  is  the  Way  to  Peace,  134. 

Smith,  Elder  Eldred  G  114 

Evidences  of  Disintegration,  114;  Evidences  of  Salvation  and  Survival,  114; 
Learning  to  Be  Perfect,  114;  Priesthood  and  Perfection,  115;  "Brethren, 
Magnify  Your  Priesthood,"  115. 

Smith,  President  Joseph  Fielding    9 

Marriage  is  Forever,  10;  Family  is  Forever,  10;  President  Young  Unjustly  Con- 
demned, 10;  Adam  in  the  Valley,  10;  "Who  hath  appointed  Michael  Your 
Prince,"  11;  Obey  Ordinances  and  Principles  and  Gain  Harmony,  11. 

Sonne,  Elder  Alma   72 

The  Importance  of  People  and  Their  Regeneration,  72;  The  Gospel,  A  Light 
to  Guide  Mankind,  73;  Revival  of  Faith  and  Hope  for  Eternal  Life,  73. 

Stapley,  Elder  Delbert  L  22 

Beware  the  Forces  of  Destruction,  22;  "Monster  of  frightful  mien,"  22; 
Evil  is  Aggressive  and  Ruthless,  23;  The  Best  Defense,  23;  Power  on  the 
Lord's  Side,  23;  "Now  is  the  time  to  show,"  23;  Uphold  the  Ways  of  the 
Lord,  24;  No  Compromise  with  Evil,  24;  Vigorous  Offensive,  Guided  and 
Sustained  by  Righteousness  and  Truth,  24;  God  has  Marked  the  Path,  25; 
"Walk  Uprightly  before  the  Lord,"  and  never  waver,  26. 

Sustaining  the  General  Authorities,  Officers  and  Auxiliary  Officers   98,  99 

Tanner,  President  Nathan  Eldon   39,  44,  48,  50,  53,  55,  97, 

99,  100,  103,  106,  110,  114,  116 

Tanner,  President  Nathan  Eldon    18 

Gratitude  for  Many  Blessings,  18;  Gratitude  for  Faith  and  Courage  of  An- 
cestors, 19;  Testimony  of  Truth,  19;  Prayer  for  Wisdom  and  Guidance,  19; 
Awful  Specter  of  Crime,  20;  Appalling  World  Conditions,  20;  World  Perish- 
ing by  Reason  of  Folly  and  Defiance  of  God's  Laws,  20;  World  Can  Save 
Itself  by  Honoring  God's  Laws,  21;  Gratitude  for  Allies  of  God,  Their 
Devotion  and  Dedication,  21;  Fortify  Solidarity  of  Families  with  Home 
Evening  Programs,  21. 

Tanner,  President  Nathan  Eldon   93 

Read  the  Book  of  Mormon  Before  Christmas,  93;  Great  Commandments: 
Love  God  and  Neighbor,  94;  Wife,  Your  Neighbor,  94;  Goodwill,  A  Missionary 
Essential,  94;  Commandment-keeping,  Evidence  of  Love,  95;  Covenant  of 
the  Priesthood,  95;  World's  Greatest  Brotherhood,  95. 

Taylor,  Elder  Henry  D   53 

"No  man  is  an  island,"  53;  God  in  the  Solitudes,  54;  Worship  for  "the 
perfection  of  the  Saints,"  54;  Fellowship  with  the  Saints,  54;  Good  Trees 
Grow  in  Groves,  55. 

Third  Day 

Morning  Meeting   96 

Afternoon  Meeting   120 

Tuttle,  Elder  A.  Theodore   29 

The  Church  of  Christ  in  the  Andes,  29;  The  Book  of  Mormon  from  the 
Ancestors  of  These  Indians,  30;  Christ  Visited  the  People  of  the  American 
Continent,  30;  An  Awakening  from  Subjugation,  30;  The  Gospel  and  the 
Priesthood  will  Liberate,  31. 


INDEX  147 

Vandenberg,  Bishop  John  H   48 

The  Power  of  Words  and  Acts,  48;  "Opposition  in  all  things,"  48;  Risks  of 
Disaster,  49;  Offenses  of  Vice,  49;  Truth  of  God  vs.  Philosophy  of  Men,  49; 
Means  of  Knowing  Good  from  Evil,  50;  Penalties  of  a  Prison  Record,  50; 
Exemplify  Righteousness,  51;  Influences  Elevate  or  Deteriorate,  51. 

Young,  Elder  S.  Dilworth   51 

Records  on  Metal  Plates,  51;  Unique  Aspects  of  the  Miracle  of  Translation, 
51;  How  to  Read  the  Book  of  Mormon  for  Confirmation  of  Its  Truth,  52; 
Witnesses  Do  Not  Stand  Alone,  52;  Projects  for  Making  the  Book  of  Mormon 
Available,  52;  "A  Marvelous  Work  and  a  Wonder",  52. 


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